The One I Long For
by AnimeGirl124
Summary: Throughout his life, Tyki had only known tree things: follow the Millennium Earl, destroy Innocence, and kill humans.  Now, with Tyki a prisoner of war, Noah destroyed, can Allen help Tyki see the error of his ways? Without completely falling for the man?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Careful!" shouted Allen, dodging the Akuma's attack. "Don't let them get behind you!" Lenalee yelled as she spun around and delivered a round kick to the Level 1 Akuma, cracking its armor.

"Crown Clown!" yelled Allen, the white cape shooting out its ribbons to pierce through the machine. The pitiful creature shrieked before falling to the ground in a ball of flame.

"Oy Allen!" called Lavi, looking up at the white-haired teen. "Watch where you crash those things! It almost hit me and Yu!"

"Don't call me Yu!" barked Kanda, slicing another pair of Akuma in half.

The attack seemed to be endless! It was late in the day and Kanda, Lavi, Lenalee, and Allen were in Germany, trying to retrieve a piece of Innocence that had been discovered. However, a huge group of Akuma had ambushed them, stopping their quest all together.

_Where could they all be coming from?_ Thought Allen, slicing open yet another machine. Unfortunately neither he nor the others had any time to think about that. He saw Lenalee dodge the sword of a level 3 Akuma and quickly took this opportunity to come up from behind and stab the creature.

"Allen behind you!" yelled Lavi.

"Big hammer, little hammer, grow, grow, grow!" Lavi's hammer collided with the Akuma's skull in a bang. Kanda then helped Lenalee and Allen dispose of the Akuma they were fighting.

"Stupid Moyashi," snarled Kanda "You should have been able to see the one behind you!"

"My name is Allen, Ba-Kanda!" snapped Allen. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Um guys," hollered Lavi, barely dodging another Akuma attack, "I do not think that this is the best time to be arguing about this!"

Suddenly, they saw someone moving closer to them in the distance. "Allen-sama!" It was Toma. "I have contacted headquarters, and they are dispatching Krory, Miranda, Bookman, and a few other Finders to come and help us. Just hold out for a few more hours, they'll be here." Everyone groaned in unison. Kanda just looked pissed.

"A few more hours!" Shouted Lenalee, kicking an Akuma in the face, "We can't last that long!"

Allen sighed in frustration. He was tired, hungry, quickly running out of energy and was not sure how much longer he could last.

Suddenly, he saw it. The thing they had been searching for: the Innocence. _How could we have missed it? _Unfortunately, Allen was not the only one to have spotted it.

"Grab it!" screeched a level 2. "Take it to the Millennium Earl!"

"Allen! Get it!" shouted Lavi, but Allen was already on it…or was supposed to be on it. As Allen had made for the Innocence, something grabbed him from behind.

"My, my, isn't this a sight to see," came a voice over the noise. Allen closed his eyes and tried to convince himself he was hearing things. _Why did HE have to be here?_ Thought Allen

"Why hello there, boy." Said Tyki Mikk, stepping out from behind a tree. "Fancy seeing you here. I assume you heard about the Innocence as well?" Allen scowled. How he hated this man. Ever since he killed Suman and cut off his arm, Allen had always despised this Noah over the rest. Even more so than Road! "My, what is with the sour face boy?" asked the Noah, puffing out some smoke from his mouth. "I would have thought that you would be happy to see me. I see your arm is doing well."

"Shut up you bastard!" shouted Allen. "It was because of you that I had to re-grow my arm!"

"Very true, however hasn't that made you stronger? I thought you would be more appreciative of me destroying your Innocence."

"Allen the Innocence!" hollered Lenalee, but it was too late. An Akuma had already run off with the shard.

"Kanda, Lavi, go after him!" yelled Allen. "I'll hold off the Noah."

"Since when do I have to take orders from you, Moyashi?" sneered Kanda. "Last time I checked, you were not in charge of the mission."

"Oh just go after them you two!" shouted Lenalee. "We'll meet you back at the hotel."

"No I think we should stay and help. And besides Allen, he is a Noah. Heck, he's Tyki Mikk! You are going to need more than Lenalee and yourself to defeat him." said Lavi, brining his hammer down to smash another Akuma.

"Fine!" sighed Lenalee. "Lavi, you stay. Kanda, get the Innocence. We'll meet up later."

"Sweet!" shouted Lavi, bringing his hammer up again. "I've been wanting to fight this guy again!"

"If you Exorcists' are done chatting may we move on?" asked the Noah. "This is getting boring and I don't have time to play around with you children."

"We were just trying to decide who is going to kick your butt!" shouted Lavi. Lenalee sighed, rolling her eyes at the redhead. Allen was already powering up, pulling off his left arm and turning it into a sword.

"Finally, I get to actually do something." Tyki said, as he stomped his cigarette out. Allen didn't even wait for the cigarette to hit the ground. With a cry Allen brought down his sword, only to miss the Noah by an inch. Tyki responded by releasing a swarm of Tease to envelop the white-haired Exorcist. Lenalee kicked the butterflies to Lavi, who squashed them with a whack of his hammer. Allen tried to land another blow, but Tyki let the attack go through him easily.

Lavi brought his down, but Tyki only had to lift an arm up to stop the Hammer from striking its mark.

"Lenalee!" shouted Lavi.

"I know!" the girl barked. "Dark Boots!" She cried, kicking off a tree and sending the thing flying in Tyki's direction.

"You!" grunted Tyki, his arm barely coming up in time to throw up a shield.

"Allen now!" shouted Lenalee.

"Crown Clown!" screamed Allen, thrusting his sword deep into Tyki's head. Tyki shrieked in pain. _We got him!_ Thought Allen. However, the teen's joy was short-lived. Suddenly, Allen felt his sword begin to shake. As the Exorcist looked down at his target, his face seemed to pale. The Noah…was _laughing_.

"Thank you, boy!" said Tyki around Allen's sword.

"ALLEN, GET WAY FROM HIM!" But it was too late; Tyki's transformation had already begun.

"Allen, we have to retreat for now!" yelled the girl. "We are too weak! We need to rest and regain our energy!"

"No! We have to get-" but before Allen could even finish his sentence, Tyki powered up to his full form, knocking Allen to the floor.

"Allen!" hollered Lenalee and Lavi together. Allen was pinned. He could not even move his head. Above him was Tyki, smiling his wicked simile. The teen struggled against the restraints, but it was no use, he was completely helpless. Allen's friends tried to help him, but Tyki easily restrained them with his tentacles.

"How would you like to see your friend die? I bet you would enjoy that very much."

"Wait, you can talk?" asked Allen, looking up at the demon.

"Why yes, I can, boy." Replied Tyki, smiling down at the white-haired boy. "After you help me achieve this form, the Earl did a little experimenting on me, and as a result, I am able to keep my mind when I change into this form." Tyki's grip tightened around Allen's neck, making him gasp for air. "I guess I should thank you, boy. Because of you, I have now gained this incredible power."

"Allen!" his friends cried again, but Tyki's tentacles easily knocked them to the ground. As Allen watched the Noah above him, the Tease were taking on a very strange shape. They were all swarming together and forming one solid object. Allen saw to his dismay, that it was an exact replica of his sword. Tyki grasped the handle and grinned down at Allen.

"Goodbye, Allen Walker." He sneered, and threw the sword down at his heart. Allen closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to erupt in his chest. Yet the sword never reached its mark.

"Kanda!" shouted Allen, sounding surprised. How did Kanda get back? Wasn't he supposed to go to the hotel and meet them at the hotel?

"Che, baka moyashi." Spat the swordsmen. "Can't even kill a Noah? What a weakling."

"Shut up! Just let me…"Allen then realized that he was no longer restrained. Lavi and Lenalee seemed to be O.K. as well. Allen heard a scream, and looked up to see Tyki holding his left arm. A deep gash was cut into the demon's limb, and the wound was starting to bleed heavily. Allen looked at Tyki again, this time using his cured Eye. What he saw was something that he had never seen. It looked like a human, but was all black and smaller than the rest of Tyki's body. Allen blinked, and realized that the thing inside Tyki was the true Noah spirit. The same thing he had tried to kill when they were in the Noah's Ark. But this time, he could see its true form, and saw there were gashes along its body. As he looked closer, he saw that the cuts were made from a sword. He realized that _he_ had made those wounds when Tyki's true form awakened. It seemed as though they had never healed. As Allen studied the creature, he saw something moving inside the Inner Noah. It looked like a heart.

"Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, grab Tyki and hold him still!"

Kanda looked a little pissed, but followed his orders nonetheless. The Noah had no time to react. He tried restraining the Exorcists' with his tentacles, but was too slow. Tyki tried to phase through their grip, but realized that they had grabbed his severed tentacles and were gripping him with those. He could not phase through himself, and could do nothing to get out of their grip. Allen then jumped into the air, swinging his clawed arm down on the Noah's spirit. With a cry the thing was torn from its human body. Tyki screamed as he felt the Noah being ripped from within him, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

"KANDA!" but Kanda was already on it. In the blink of an eye, Kanda brought his sword down on the Noah spirit, slicing it in two. The Noah let out a piercing shriek, before exploding in a bright white light. For a few brief moments, everything was silent.

"What did you do, Allen?" wondered Lenalee, looking at the unconscious man.

"I tore out the Noah from Tyki's body." Panted the teen, clearly exhausted from the effort. "Kanda…then killed the spirit." Kanda looked at Tyki's motionless body, and raised his sword again.

"Stop!" shouted Allen, his voice making Kanda's sword stop mid-swing.

"Allen, what are you doing?" asked Lavi.

"Don't kill him!"

"Why? He is a Noah, and therefore deserves to die."

"No!" said Allen. "When I became an Exorcist, I swore that I would never kill a human, or let another Exorcist kill another a human. Tyki's Noah is gone! Kanda killed it! He is now a normal human being!"

Allen had no idea what had overcome him, but could not do anything about his feelings. "As long as I am an Exorcist in the Black Order, I will not let you kill a human, even if they were a Noah before!" The other three Exorcists looked at each other, wondering what to do.

"Allen, if headquarters finds out about this…"

"I don't care." Said Allen, stepping in front of Tyki. "I will take full responsibility for my actions." The air was silent for a few moments; the only sound to be heard was the panting of the teens.

"All right Allen," sighed Lenalee. "We won't kill him."

"But Lenalee!" protested Lavi. Lenalee silenced him with a look.

"I said we will not kill him, but we will take him back to Headquarters immediately. I'm a little suspicious of all of this. A Noah should not be this easy to defeat." Allen didn't like the idea of Tyki being taken back to the Black Order, but if it meant that the man wouldn't die, then Allen would have to deal with it.

"Alright. Kanda, did you get the Innocence?" Asked Allen.

"Yes, I did," sneered Kanda, holding up the Innocence piece.

"Good." said Lenalee. She looked over at the unconscious Noah. "Let's meet up with the reinforcements. We're going home."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a rather cloudy day at Headquarters. Komui looked out the window at the gloomy sky, thinking about Lenalee. _What was taking her so long? They were supposed to return over 2 hours ago!_ Komui thought nervously. He always hated to send his little sister on a mission. _I hope she is all right. _ Just then, he heard Reever come into his office.

"Komui, Lenalee and her friends have returned to Headquarters." Reported the man.

"Really? Oh yay!" cried Komui, hopping up and down in joy, his somber mood suddenly forgotten. "I take it that the mission was successful?"

"Yes, the Innocence shard has been taken to Helvaska. She is now placing the piece within her for safe keeping." Reever seemed to pause. "However, Lenalee and the group seem to have brought something, or rather, someone else along."

"Oh really?" Asked Komui, clearly interested in the matter "Who did they bring? A new accommodator?"

"You won't believe me, but they brought back a Noah." Komui suddenly turned serious. _ What is a Noah doing here? WHY is a Noah here? Could they have killed him? No, they wouldn't have brought the body along if he were dead. But why did they bring him here? _A million questions scattered in Komui's head.

"Sir? Sir? We need to get down to the science department as quickly as possible. Lenalee says she had an explanation for all of this." Komui shook himself from his trance, seeing Reever's hand wave in front of his face.

"Yes, you are right, let us go." Komui said, pushing his glasses up. "I need to know what is going on as soon as possible."

Allen hated the attention that was being drawn to them. Everyone seemed to be looking at the group of young Exorcists. He heard whispers all around him as they walked down the hall. _Why did they bring back a Noah? Is he even still alive? This is bad. What if the Earl comes for him? _Lenalee didn't like it either, but then again, it was better that the Noah was here, instead of returning to the Millennium Earl. Tyki was still unconscious, but was being carried in by Lavi. Kanda, Bookman, and Krory, were standing guard in case Tyki woke up. And he almost did so once. Kanda knocked him out with a whack to the head before Tyki was fully conscious, but was repaid by receiving one in return from Lenalee. After that, they resorted to Miranda using her Innocence to make Tyki stay in his unconscious state. It took a while to get back to headquarters, but they managed to send Toma ahead to alert everyone that they were bringing back a Noah. Apparently, they had gotten there first.

Lenalee!" shouted Komui, throwing his arms around his little sister. "I am so glad you are back!"

"Nii-san," Lenalee replied, struggling away from her brother's embrace. "If you have not forgotten, we have a…guest with us."

"Oh, right," said Komui, releasing his sister and straightening his coat. As he looked over Lenalee's shoulder, he saw what Reever had said was indeed correct: they _had_ brought back a Noah. And by the looks of him, it was Tyki Mikk.

"Lenalee," Komui asked while pushing up his glasses, "Why have you brought a Noah here?"

"Why don't you ask Allen," Said Kanda, glaring at Allen. "He was the one who refused to kill him." Komui shifted his gaze from Tyki to Allen. Allen held his gaze, knowing that he was in a lot of trouble, but was ready to take on the responsibility.

"Allen?" he inquired. Allen took a deep breath and then recited the events of the mission.

"I just couldn't kill him," he finished, "I swore to myself that I would never harm another human being."

"Allen," Komui sighed, a small frown showing on his face. "While I agree with your morals, I don't think a Noah is exactly a human."

"Tyki is now," said Allen as he walked up to Komui, "because I killed the Noah inside him."

It was as if a bomb went off in the science department. _ How did you do that? Are you sure that's true? That's a lie! The Noah is only trying to trick us!_ It seemed as if the entire room wanted answers to their questions.

"A-Allen-"

"Tyki Mikk is no longer a threat." Stated Allen, clearly not willing to back down. "He is now not so different as I am from you."

"Are you sure about this?" Asked Komui, surprise and shock clearly visible on his face.

"I am positive."

"Wait a minute!" came a voice above the rest. The whole room turned to see Howard Link looking over at the group.

"Link-san!" Said Lavi, walking over to the man. How are you-"

"How do we know that this is true Allen?" Link asked, walking passed the red-haired teen. "How do we know that you are telling the truth?" Allen opened his mouth but Link cut him off. "I am sorry Mr. Walker, but the Black Order cannot only rely on your word." Link then turned to look at Komui, his mouth in its usual frown. "Komui, you and the rest of the science department are to run tests on this Noah and determine if he really is just a human now."

"Link!" shouted Allen, grabbing the teen's arm. "Link! You don't have to do that! I saw it with my own eyes! Everyone saw it with their own eyes! I tore the Noah from Tyki Mikk's body and Kanda destroyed it!" Link's response was to shove Allen's hand from his shoulder and walk over to Reever.

"Reever, you are to prepare a holding cell to keep this Noah in for the time being."

"Link-san!" Now it was Lenalee's turn to shout. "That is too harsh! No one deserves to be held in there!"

"Silence woman!" Said Link, looking over at the girl. "I will be leaving to talk with the higher ups about this matter. Until then he is to be held in solitary confinement. Is that clear?"

"But-"

"Give up, Lenalee." muttered Lavi, placing a hand on the girl. "I know that this isn't fair, but Link is only doing his duty as a member of the CROW. Don't be angry with him." Lenalee seemed like she wanted to protest, but in the end didn't. "Besides," continued the teen, looking down at her. "I bet this won't go on for long. It will only be for a few days."

"Mr. Lavi is correct." Came Link's voice from across the way. "These are not permanent measures, but they will be in place for the time being."

Link looked up at Miranda, Kanda, and Lavi. "Could you take the Noah to a holding cell for the time being? I need to have a conference with the higher up's to alert them of the current situation. I must leave as soon as possible." He turned to Allen. "Also, I need them to decide what Mr. Walker's punishment will be for saving the Noah." Allen opened his mouth to say something, but kept silent. He knew that this would happen, but it was a small price to pay for Tyki's life.

(A/N) Chapter 2 is up! Yay! I am so sorry that this chapter is so short (the next two will be short as well ^^;), but it's necessary for the story to continue. Anyway, enjoy!

You can also read my story here: .com/art/The-One-I-Long-For-Chapter-1-204885422

WARNING! This fanfic for -man is SHONEN-AI! (That means boyxboy!) The pairing is Tyki Mikk x Allen Walker

Cover page: .com/art/The-One-I-Long-For-Cover-185439722


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Several days later, Allen was charged with his punishment: once Tyki woke up, Allen would be in charge of taking care of the Ex-Noah. That meant feeding the man and watching over him to make sure he didn't do anything bad.

"Why can't a member of the CROW take care of this?" asked Lenalee at the breakfast table. "They are much more suited for this kind of thing."

"The CROW are somewhat involved." replied Allen, taking a sip from his glass. "While I am convinced Tyki is no longer a threat, the higher-ups are not so easily persuaded. Not only will Tyki be caged in the cells, but he will also be put under several restraint spells, just in case something were to happen. By doing this they feel safer, and I will still have to take care of him."

"Look's like you have your work cut out for you Allen," said Lavi, leaning back in his chair. Allen yawned as he got up.

"Where are you going Allen?" asked Krory, looking up from his dish.

"To deal with my punishment."

Allen sighed as he walked down to the Science Department. They had finished testing Tyki two days earlier, and they confirmed that Allen had indeed killed the Noah inside him. However, the Black Order was still going to be cautious of the man. Allen had hoped that Tyki would remain unconscious for a few more days, but his hopes were dashed when he looked into the cell.

"Where am I?" asked Tyki, turning his head to the side. As he reached up to block the light above him, he realized that he was handcuffed. As he looked around, the man saw that he was in a small cell with only a bed and a chair. Tyki tuned to see on his back, there were several binding spell papers. "What happened to me?"

"Well hello there, Tyki," said Allen. Tyki spun his head to see a white-haired boy staring at him through metal bars. Tyki groaned as he realized what had happened.

"Why are you here, boy?" sighed the Ex-Noah, sitting upon his prison bed. "Come to tease me about being in a cage?"

"I have been assigned to look over you once you awoke." Tyki groaned again, lying down and turning his head away form Allen's face.

"Hey don't look so gloomy." chirped the boy, "I don't like this either. I can think of a million better things to do than hang out here with you."

"So could I, you stupid boy, but as you can see, I don't have the luxury of going _anywhere_, much less a place I would like to be."

Allen sighed as he stood up. "You should just be grateful for what I've done for you already."

_What he did for me?_ Tyki wondered. _What does he mean by that?_ He had no time to ask because at that moment, Lenalee appeared, carrying some coffee.

"Hey Allen!" she said cheerfully, running up to him, "You forgot your coff-" but stopped dead when she saw the Tyki was now awake.

"Yo," said Tyki, grinning. "Could I possibly have some of that?"

"Oh, I see he has woken up." Said Lenalee, glaring at the Noah. "And no, you can't have this. This is for God's helpers only." Tyki frowned, about to say that he _was_ one of God's helpers, but knew it would be pointless to argue over the subject.

"Lenalee, I am going to go upstairs to eat and get Tyki some food." Allen said without looking at the Ex-Noah. "I will be back later."

"I will see you up there." replied Lenalee, as her face darkened. "I have some stuff to tell this guy."

"Suit yourself." remarked Allen, and disappeared from view. Lenalee turned to Tyki again.

"I just hope you know how lucky you are. Kanda would have killed you in a heartbeat, but it was Allen who saved you." And with that, she left the Ex-Noah to his thoughts.

_The boy was the one who let me live?_ He thought, now understanding what Allen had meant by his comment.

_Why?_

A/N Ok! So here is chapter 3! I am SO sorry that it is this short (expect chapter 4 to be really short too), but I PROMISE Chapter 5 will be longer, WAY longer! I might upload chapter 4 today because of that, but I'm not sure. Anyway, enjoy!

You can also read my story here: .com/art/The-One-I-Long-For-Chapter-1-204885422

~AnimeGirl124

WARNING! This fanfic for -man is SHONEN-AI! (That means boyxboy!) The pairing is Tyki Mikk x Allen Walker

Cover page: .com/art/The-One-I-Long-For-Cover-185439722


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next few weeks were not very exciting, but they were still not normal. Allen was still getting strange looks from his peers, and could hear them talking about him. Allen didn't like it, but he knew it was a small price to pay for taking a now ex-enemy back to the Black Order. Everyone was suspicious because the Earl had made no move to retrieve Tyki so far. It was interesting though because, while Tyki and Allen hated each other beyond belief (or at least on Allen's half), the two had miraculously developed some sort of a relationship over the past few weeks. It was almost a routine. Allen would come down to give Tyki food. In turn Tyki would tell him stories about his human friends. Most of the time their conversations ended in anger, but they didn't speak at all about the war.

"Good morning Allen!" called a voice from across the dining room. Allen turned his head to see Lenalee and Lavi walking over to him.

"Good morning you guys."

"Are you all ready to go?" Asked Lavi. "We have to leave by nine today."

"I know." Replied Allen, "but I have a few things I have to take care of first."

"Right."

"Oi wake up Tyki!" said Allen, banging on the bars of his cell. "Time for breakfast." He heard Tyki groan and then get out of his cot. Allen suspected that Tyki had tried to phase through the bars of his cell earlier that morning, only to discover that he no longer possessed the powers of a Noah.

"Tell me boy, " asked the Noah, grabbing the food from Allen's hands, "Why did you let me live? Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? I tore your arm from your body, and left you for dead in China."

Allen said nothing. Tyki smirked, leaning so that his head was sticking out of the bars. "I killed your stupid little friend Suman did I not?" he whispered. Allen froze. "He was so pathetic, asking me to let him live, just to see his daughter who is probably already dead." Tyki looked at Allen. "You should be thanking me boy. I saved that little girl from knowing that the father she so much loved was actually just a coward."

"Don't you dare talk about Suman!" spat Allen, seeming to shake himself from his thoughts. "You of all people have no right to talk about him!"

"Oh yes I do, because I was the one who killed him."

"Damn it! How can you still be so cocky even after what I have done for you?" Tyki just smirked. Allen glared back at him. "I came down here to tell you that I will be leaving for a while! I was going to have Krory watch over you, but now I've changed my mind!" And with that, the boy took off, leaving Tyki to his own thoughts.

"Kanda!" shouted Allen, running to the swordsman's room. "Kanda could you do-"

"Shut up! baka moyashi!" shouted Kanda, grabbing Allen by the hair and shoving his face into the wall next to his door.

"That hurt, Ba-kanda!" shouted Allen, trying to get free from Kanda's hold. "I just wanted to ask if you could take care of Tyki Mikk while I am gone on my mission."

"No way in hell, baka moyashi!" said Kanda, pushing Allen's face farther into the wall.

"Crown Clown!" shouted Allen, releasing his Innocence and swiping his claw at Kanda. Kanda dodged, releasing the boy in the process. "Allen got up and rubbed his face, looking extremely annoyed. "Kanda, if you don't take care of Tyki for me, I'll tell Komui that you kissed Lenalee." This, of course, was a total lie (Kanda sometimes couldn't even stand the girl), but there was no doubt that Komui would take the comment seriously and make it his personal mission to make Kanda's life a living hell. Hearing this Kanda seemed to stop for a second and Allen jumped at the opportunity.

"All you have to do is feed him three times a day and get his laundry if he needs new clothes. Oh! And I'll tell Komui that you will do the job, so that if something happens he will know who to talk to. Bye!" And with that the boy disappeared, leaving Kanda with a blank expression.

"BAKA MOYASHI! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS WHEN YOU COME BACK!"

A/N Ok! Here is Chapter 4! I know it is short, but chapters 5 and 6 are REALLY LONG, so they will make up for this chapter and chapter 3. Anyway, Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Allen sighed as he looked out the window of the train. The grapevines seemed to fly by on the ground as they sped past the countryside. It had been eight hours since the Allen, Lavi, and Lenelaee left the Black Order and headed towards Italy. Allen was still angry with Tyki for being…Tyki, but he still felt bad about shouting at the man and leaving Kanda in charge. Knowing the blue-haired samurai, Tyki would probably only eat three times while he was gone.

"Oi Mathew!" called Lavi, looking out the train door window for the Finder and pulling Allen from his thoughts. "Exactly where are we going again?"

"We are going to a mining site in Italy! There is a possibility Innocence is in the area!" came Mathew's voice from the other side of the door. "I don't know all of the details, but we should be meeting up with three other Finders once we arrive." Lavi sighed and rested his head against the back of the seat.

"Just be patient Lavi." Said Lenalee, as she placed her hand on Lavi's leg. "Mathew said we would be arriving shortly."

"Yeah but he said that hours ago." complained Lavi, looking out the window.

"Then that means that we will be there very soon", replied Allen. No sooner had the boy spoken that a train station came into view.

"See?" quipped Lenalee, nudging Lavi. "We are here already!"

"Finally! I thought we'd never get there!"

"Arriving at our next stop!" came a shout from the front of the train. Slowly the train coasted to a peaceful rest at the station. As Allen looked out from the car window, he could see two Finders making their way toward the train.

"This is our stop," announced Mathew, as he attempted to exit the train car. "Grab your things and get off. Jake and Phillip will be taking us to our destination."

"How long until we get to the coal mine?" asked Lenalee after everybody was properly introduced.

"The coal mine we are headed towards is about an hour away on foot, so it should be 30 minutes by carriage." replied Jake, who took hold of Lenalee's luggage. "We can grab something to eat first if you would like though."

"That would be a big help if we could do that first. " agreed Allen as he scratched his head sheepishly. "I haven't eaten more than a small sandwich on the train in over 3 hours. I am starving!"

"I bet you are, Allen!" exclaimed Lavi, throwing his arm around Allen's neck. "So, what kind of food do they have in this town?"

"Pasta, pasta and more pasta!" Replied Jake. "Don't worry though, they have meat there too."

"Perfect!" said Allen, sounding happy at the thought of eating. "That sounds like a great plan!"

It was about three o'clock in the afternoon by the time the group arrived at their destination. After a short lunch, the group had headed over to the coalmines. As the mine came into view, people began to stop and stare and the new arrivals. The camp was huge! From where the carriage was Allen could see several small shacks built out of metal, probably the housing for the men. The coalmines seemed endless, stretching out as far as the eye could see. In the middle of the camp was a larger building, this one made of wood. By the looks of it, Allen guessed it was where the coal was sorted. Large columns of smoke were rising from the two metal chimneys. Upon their arrival, the mining chief, an English man named Roger Moss, greeted the group.

"Ah! There you are!" boomed the man, striding over to the group. "You must be the new workers to help in the coal mines!"

In unison Allen and his friends turned to Mathew, silently asking for an explanation. "I am happy that you all made it here safe and sound," continued Roger, interrupting their thoughts. "I was beginning to worry that my new workers would not come!" The man roared with laughter, the other workers joining in. Roger was a very large, strong man. He must have been about 6'6'' (198 cm) and was clearly the tallest man around. His face seemed to be worn from years of hard labor in the coalmines, but his eyes glimmered in the otherwise dim light. While his body seemed to be over forty years old, his eyes, ever youthful, seemed to disguise his age well. "Now," noted Roger, as he gazed intently at the group. "Would you like to tell us your names young ones? I sure am curious as to where you came from!" The group looked at one another, not knowing where to start.

"My name is Allen Walker." replied Allen suddenly, looking up at the man. "I am sixteen and I am from England."

"Excellent!" boomed Roger, patting Allen on the back. It was all Allen could do to not fall over from the force of the man's hands. "Nice to see another Englishman helping out in the coal mines!"

"My name is Lavi." Said the teen, looking over at Allen and Roger. "I am eighteen years old. I don't really have a last name, and I kind of come from everywhere!" Lavi muttered sheepishly, scratching his head.

"Nice to meet you Lavi." Roger then turned his attention to Lenalee. "Now who is this?" asked the man, bending down to look at the girl. "I don't remember asking for a girl to help us in the mines!"

"Excuse me sir." replied Lenalee politely. "I did not know you only needed men to help around here."

"Yes, a girl cannot do a man's job here. I hope you are a good cook! The men haven't had a nice meal round here in ages!"

"Don't worry." Said Lenalee, looking over at the workers. "I can cook some things. My name is Lenalee Lee by the way. I am seventeen years old and come from China."

"Well, nice to meet you little lady." Roger then tipped his helmet to her. "Now! I guess we shall have to figure out where to put you for the day."

Roger turned to look at Allen and Lavi, smiling. "You two young boys can help the others going through the rubble today, but in the morning I expect you to be digging along with everyone else ok?"

Allen and Lavi nodded, thankful that Roger was going to give them a day off first. "Now as for you young lady." continued Roger, walking up to Lenalee. "I guess we will have you work in the soup kitchen. Erma can give you a tour of the kitchen today and tell you how things work in there. But again, I expect you to be up bright and early to help make breakfast for the boys ya hear?"

"I understand." agreed Lenalee, making a slight bow.

"Good. Now! Everyone, back to work! We still have a good 4 hours of sunlight, and I don't want to waist another second of it!"

"Yes sir!" shouted the men in unison, and with that, went back to their work.

"Hey Mathew!" shouted Lavi, turning to face the Finder as soon as Roger was out of earshot. "Why didn't you tell us we were going to help in the mines?"

"I'm very sorry, Exorcist-sama." Said Mathew, bowing deeply. "But this is the only way we can get a hold of the Innocence."

"What do you mean?" asked Lenalee, looking over at the blond. "I thought you told us that you have already located the Innocence shard."

"We have, but the problem is, we can't find its exact location." The teens looked on, waiting for an explanation. Mathew sighed as he began. "You see, Jake, Philip and I know that the Innocence is in the coal mines, but it has yet to be unearthed."

"So what you are saying is, the only way to get the Innocence shard is to dig for it?" Asked Lavi, raising his one eyebrow.

Mathew nodded. "I am very sorry about this."

"Don't be." Said Allen, taking the rest of the group by surprise. "If this is the only way to find the Innocence, then so be it. Everyone, we should just try our best to recover the shard before the Akuma do. Now while I don't see any with my eye right now, it does not mean that they will not appear soon."

"Allen is right," agreed Lenalee. "We can stay here as long as we need to. Now, I have a meeting with Erma, and you two have to start going though the rubble. Let's all do our best ok?" Allen and Lavi seemed to pause for a minute before smiling.

"Yeah." Said Lavi, taking hold of Allen's arm. "Come on Allen! Lets start moving that dirt!"

The day was long and strenuous for the group of friends. After bending down for so long, Allen was starting to believe he might never be able to stand up straight again!

"Lavi! Can you pass me that shovel over there? I need to use it for a moment."

"Hey! You! Kid with the white hair!" shouted a voice from behind him. Allen turned around to look at the owner of the voice, and seemed to pale. There were two men walking toward them, smiling. The man in front seemed to be in his late twenties, a knitted hat resting upon his head. The man following him also appeared to be about the same age. He had shoulder length brown hair, a noticeable cut over his left eye, stitched closed with thread. Both men were wearing typical work clothes like everyone else, but it was the little boy, dark bags under his eyes and wearing a facemask, trailing after them that gave the men's' identities away. Allen recognized them instantly as Tyki's human friends.

"Hey! I know you!" shouted Lavi "Your Tyk-"

"Lavi!" Interrupted Allen. The redhead turned to look at his friend, and shut up immediately. Allen was giving him the death glare, and Lavi had no desire to die that day.

"I knew it!" said the second man; patting his friend on the shoulder "It's cheating boy A! The one we met on the train!"

"Damn!" said the first man, pulling out a silver coin. "That was last week's pay Crack! Now what am I gonna do if I want to go into town?"

"Borrow it back from me!" joked the man named Crack, chest heaving with laughter.

"Momo, you shouldn't have bet Crack about this." piped the boy behind them. "You know you shouldn't bet him."

"Yeah I know Eaze," said Momo, kneeling down to Eaze's height. "I promise I won't do it again ok?" Eaze seemed to smile, but it was difficult to tell from the mask the boy wore.

"Anyway, Cheating Boy A, what are you doing on this side of town? Come to have another rematch?" Mocked Crack, striding over to the group.

"My name is not Cheating Boy A." Said Allen, frowning. "My name is Allen Walker, this is my friend Lavi."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you two!" smiled Crack. "My name is Crack, and this is Momo. The kid with us here is Eaze."

"Hello!" greeted Lavi, sounding cheerful. "Nice to see you guys again. But what are you guys doing here? I thought you worked somewhere in Romania."

"We did work there for a while." replied Crack, walking over to Eaze. "But that coal mine over there was a little too rough for this kid here!" He finished, ruffling Eaze's hair. "Momo, Eaze, and I decided to move out here because the pay is better, the working conditions are better, and Roger is actually a good friend of mine! Tyki will be joining us here in a while, he is our other fiend by the way, but he had some business to take care of elsewhere first."

"I hope Tyki comes back soon." Said Eaze as he stole a glance at Momo. Momo just smiled down at the boy.

"Don't worry, he knows where we are, and he promised to come back as soon as he can. Right Crack?"

"Yep!" answered the man. "Tyki will be here before you know it." Hearing this made Allen feel so guilty he wasn't sure if he could take it. Both Allen and his friends knew that Tyki would never be coming back, or at least in the same way that his friends would recognize him.

"Well, it was nice to run into you two!" Said Crack, stretching and yawning. "Let's go, Eaze, Momo. We still have another to work, so lets go."

"Yeah." Replied Momo as he walked over to his friend. "Yo we'll see you guys later ok?"

"Alright!" yelled Lavi, waving at them. "See ya later! Come on Allen, we have to get back to work too."

"Wait a minute!" piped a voice, taking the two friends by surprise.

"Eaze!" said Lavi as he turned over at the boy. "I didn't realize that you were still here." Eaze however paid no attention to the read-head, instead looking at Allen with a strange face. "What was your name again?"

"Allen." answered the teen, looking down at the boy. "Allen Walker."

"Allen Walker." muttered Eaze. "Where have I read that name before?" Eaze dug his hand into his pocket. "Now I remember!" He held up a silver button for Allen to inspect. "Did this belong to you?"

Allen could not believe his eyes. So this is what Tyki had done with his button. He gave it to this kid!

"Where did you get this?"

"Tyki gave it to me a while ago." Replied Eaze. "He always gives me things when he comes back from his secret job. I have other buttons like this one." Eaze dug into his pocket again and brought out more buttons. "This one is my favorite." The child announced, as he held up a golden button. "It's the only one of its kind." Allen picked up the button and read the name written behind it. Written in nice, neat letters was the name Kevin Yeager.

"Let me see those." demanded Allen, feeling a little queasy. Eaze handed him the rest of the buttons. Allen carefully read the backs of each one. Daisya Barry_, _Suman Dark. All of these names were of dead Exorcists. Allen felt sick as he realized that Tyki gave all of the buttons of the people he killed to Eaze. "Nice collection." noted Allen, tasting bile in his mouth.

"I think that button with your name on it belonged to you." said Eaze, pointing to the one on the table. "But if you will let me, I would like to keep it. It is all I have of Tyki right now."

"Sure." muttered Allen, looking away. "I don't mind."

"Really?" said Eaze, his eyes bright. "Thank you!" He cried, giving Allen a big hug. Allen stood shocked for a moment, looking at the small figure around him.

"Your welcome. Now you had better go back to your friends now ok? They will begin to wonder were you are."

"Ok!" replied the boy, releasing Allen and grinning. "I'll see you later Allen!"

"See ya later Eaze!" said Lavi, watching the kid run back to his friends.

"He seems like a good kid. Too bad he chose Tyki as his friend eh Allen?" commented the redhead, nudging Allen in the rips.

Allen was quiet and just stared at Tyki's friends. They seemed to be so happy.

Suddenly, a loud bell rang throughout the camp. "DINNER TIME!" Someone shouted, which was followed by a loud cheer and a rush of men to the other side of the coalmine.

"All right!" shouted Lavi, punching his fist in the air. "Time for some food!" As the two made their way over they spotted Lenalee handing out soup bowl to the men, who waited anxiously for their meal. As she spotted them she waved, but they were interrupted by Roger's loud voice.

"New comers, come over here!" Roger shouted, motioning to the two teens. Allen and Lavi just looked at each other before walking over to the big man. "Now, since this is your first day here you need a place to sleep." Roger turned to the men in line. "Men!" he shouted. "These two fine young lads need a place to sleep. Anyone want to share their shack with them?" The mine was quiet for a few moments.

"We will!" came a man's voice. Allen and Lavi turned to see Crack raising his hand and smiling at the two. "We can take them!"

"Excellent!" said Roger, clapping his hands together. "Allen, Lavi, you will be bunking with Crack and his friends for the time being. Your lady friend will be sleeping in the kitchen along with the other women. Alright?"

"Fine by me." Said Lavi, putting his hands behind his head. "I don't mind. What about you Allen?"

Allen seemed to pause for a moment before smiling. "Sure. Why not?"

"Then it's settled." concluded Roger, looking down at the boys. "Sleep well tonight lads, for in the morning, there will be a whole new day's work of coal to mine! Be sure to wake up bright and early, or you'll miss breakfast!"

A/N: Ok, so here is chapter 5! As I promised, this one is WAY longer than chapters 3 and 4. Read and review please!

~AnimeGirl124~


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The sun hadn't even risen in the sky the next morning before the sound of a loud bell penetrated the sleepy silence that had covered the coalmine.

"RING! RING! RING!" Called the bell over and over again, determined to wake every last soul up in the camp.

"What is that!" shouted Lavi above the noise, covering his ears with his hands.

"That is the wake-up bell!" Hollered Crack. "We are still getting used to it as well!"

Soon, the bell's ringing came to an abrupt halt, as a chorus of moans and yawns rose from the now not-so-peaceful-camp.

"TIME TO GET UP!" Came Roger's loud voice over a speaker "GET OUT OF BED, YOU LAZY SWINES! THE DAY IS SHORT, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF COAL TO MINE THIS MORNING!"

"Agh! Fine! Fine! I'm awake!" moaned Allen, covering his own ears with a pillow. "Just give me five more minutes! I was in the middle of a good dream!" Crack just laughed at the boy's complaints before pulling the blankets from Allen's body. "Hey!" shouted Allen as he sprang from his bed, finally starting to wake up. "Give those back Crack!"

"Nope! Now that you are living in the coal mine you need to contribute to the camp just like everyone else! Get ready or I'll hide these down in the mine!"

Allen knew it was pointless to argue and gave up the chase with a sigh.

"Besides, if we don't hurry, we will miss breakfast! Look! The line is already getting long!" Crack was right. The camp, while it looked small from afar, actually was the home to a lot of men. From where Allen was standing, he could count at least 50 men walking towards the line that was already 70 people long.

"Wow!" commented Lavi, letting out a low whistle. "How many people ARE there here exactly?"

Momo glanced at the two teens. "I think there are about 700 of us here, women included."

"700!" replied Allen, eyes widening. "How do all of you guys get fed?"

"There are about 250 women who get up real early, even earlier than us, who make the food here." answered the man as he ran his hands through his hair. "Looks like your girlfriend had a painful morning."

"Yo you guys!" came a voice from across the camp. All four people turned to see Crack waving his hands from the line. "Come quick! They made bacon this morning, and it's running out fast!" That did it. Before anyone could blink, all four of them were running over to join Crack.

"Single file!" came Lenalee's voice from over all the morning talk. "Single file everyone! You know the drill, take a tray and get in line!"

"Good morning Lenalee!" called Lavi from the back of the line. "How was your night?" Lenalee just looked over at the boys and sighed. "You know Lavi, you are just lucky I am too tired to come over there right now!" Allen felt a pang of sympathy for Lenalee as he grabbed a tray. The girl looked like she was going to fall asleep standing. He wondered what time she had actually got up. Judging by how many mouths there were to feed, it must have been early.

"Wait, only one serving?" cried Allen, looking at his plate. The woman behind the counter had only given him two eggs, a piece of toast, one thing of butter, and two strips of bacon.

"Sorry kid." Said the woman. "We only made enough for one serving each."

"Isn't there _some_ way to get more?" The woman shook her head. Allen nodded once before bowing and getting out of line with his food.

"Seems like you're gonna be going on a diet here Allen!" laughed Lavi, nudging his friend in the ribs. Allen just sighed.

"I don't need to go on a diet. I'm going to miss Jerry's cooking."

"Jerry's gonna really surprised when you come back thin as a twig!"

"What I would do for a cup of your coffee Eaze." Said Momo, yawning as he sat down.

"Maybe you can buy some with _my_ money that you stole from me!" replied Crack, sitting down next to his friend.

"I can make you some if you get me some coffee beans." offered Eaze as he caught up with them. Crack and Momo scooted out of the way to make room for their friend.

"That would be great."

"You guys obviously never had Lenalee's coffee." Commented Lavi, digging into his meal. "She makes the best coffee around!"

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that." Crack looked over at the teen. "Little Eaze here can make one mean batch of coffee too!" he said, patting Eaze on the head.

"Maybe you two can have a contest some time." replied Allen, smiling at the boy. "I bet Lenalee would like that." Suddenly, their meal was interrupted by another loud bell.

"What? Time to work already?" Said Lavi in disbelief. "I just sat down!"

"When you work in a coal mine, you have to learn to eat quick." laughed Momo, taking up everyone's dirty dishes.

"Were not even done yet, right Allen?" wondered Lavi, turning to his friend.

"What are you taking about Lavi?" said Allen, handing Momo his dish.

"What? How did you finish so quickly?" Allen just stared at him, waiting for Lavi to realize just what he was asking.

"Ah! There you two are!" came a voice from behind them. Allen and Lavi turned to see Roger standing above them. "Today is your first day of work! Aren't you excited?" The man laughed at the boy's blank expressions. "Hey Crack, would you mind explaining to these young boys how this place works?" Crack smiled as he stood up.

"It would be my pleasure sir!"

Roger just laughed once more as he patted the man on the back. "That's my old friend!"

"Well, be best be getting off you two." Said Crack, standing up with Eaze. "Just do what we do and you'll be fine!"

It was several hours before the day was finished. Allen and Lavi felt as if they couldn't take another step! They were so _tired!_ Almost every joint in their body was sore and it was so painful to move!

"I don't even WANT to know how bad I'm gonna feel tomorrow." moaned Lavi, wincing as he got up from the bench.

"Don't worry about that." answered Crack as he landed a hard slap on Allen's shoulder. Allen resisted the urge to cry out. "All new-bees have a hard time the first week or so, but you'll get used to it."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it. I wish I was working in the kitchen with Lenalee! At least she doesn't have to move rocks all day!"

"The women at this camp don't have it easy either." Commented Momo, taking a sip from his drink. "Remember how many people there are to feed? She has to keep getting up that early for the rest of the time you guys are here!"

"True." Just then they saw Eaze get out of the dinner line and walk over to them, a small package sitting next to his food.

"Look guys!" Said Eaze, sitting down at the table. "Look at what Erma gave me!" Everybody seemed to lean in as Eaze unwrapped the bundle of cloth. Inside was a small piece of chocolate, barely the size of Allen's thumb, but Eaze was smiling down proudly at it. "Erma said she found this while going through some supplies. She doesn't know how good it is, but she doesn't think that chocolate goes bad, so she gave it to me!"

"She must have known what day it was today." muttered Momo. Allen looked over at the two men and saw them glance at one another, before getting up from the table.

"Eaze, say here for a minute please. Momo and I have to go get something." Crack dusted off his clothes. Still smiling, Eaze nodded.

Allen and Lavi watched as the two men disappeared into their living quarters. A few moments later, they emerged, Crack carrying a medium-sized box in his hands.

"Happy Birthday Eaze!" Both men cried in unison, sitting down next to the boy. Allen blinked in surprise as they handed Eaze his present. He didn't know it was the boy's birthday! Everyone seemed to hold their breath as Eaze unwrapped the box. As the boy peered inside his face seemed to light up.

"A top!" Cried the boy, holding up the object for everyone to see. Eaze was right, it was a wooden top about the size of his helmet, complete with rope and launcher. Allen and Lavi turned to face the two men.

"We got it on our day off, a few days before you came." added Crack, answering the unspoken question. "Eaze still had to work that day, but we didn't and ran over to town and used the money we had saved to get this for him."

"Well, do you like it Eaze?" asked Momo, ruffling his hand through the boy's hair. Eaze nodded vigorously.

"I love it!" he cried, throwing his small arms around his friends. "Thank you!" Allen smiled as the three friends embraced one another. Suddenly, the night bell sounded, signaling that it was time for everyone to go to sleep. As Allen crawled into bed, he could not resist one last glance at the three friends. _We really are like a family._

It had been three days now since the trio of friends had arrived at the mining camp. It seemed like longest days of Allen and Lavi's lives. Every morning they would get up before sunrise, then work for seven straight hours mining in the coalmine before they took a break for lunch. And then afterwards they would mine another six hours until it was time for dinner. Allen was starting to get very tired. Not having enough food can do things to a person, especially to a certain white-haired teen. The trio had, however, gotten to be good friends with Crack and the gang. Allen could see why Tyki had chosen them to be his friends. They were a good group of people.

"Yo Lavi," called Momo, looking over down the mine. "Have you seen Eaze lately? He was supposed to be coming back with the coal down the mine a while ago."

"Nope." Came Lavi's reply. "Haven't seen him all day."

"What about you Allen?" Asked Crack, picking up a shovel. "Seen him lately?"

"No, but I can go and check to see what's up!" Answered Allen, pitting his mining stuff down and taking off his gloves. "I'll be back in a few minutes ok?"

_Now where could that kid have run off to?_ Wondered Allen, walking past the inhabited part of the mine. _I hope he didn't get lost. This place is huge!_ "Eaze?" Called Allen, kicking away some stray rocks. "Eaze? Eaze you back here?"

"I'm over here Allen!" came Eaze's voice from the mine.

"Where?" wondered Allen, turning on his headlight. "I don't see you!"

"Make two rights and a left and you'll see me!" came Eaze's voice again. Allen did as he was told, and sure enough, there was Eaze, pulling behind him a large sack of coal. "Sorry I'm late!" said the boy, looking over at Allen. "This thing is really heavy!"

Allen walked over to the boy. "Here. Let me get that for you."

"No wait don't!" Allen stopped and looked. Suddenly, the roof of the cavern caved in, showering the two with heavy rock.

"Eaze!" shouted Allen, pulling himself to his feet. "Eaze! Are you alright? Eaze!"

"I'm fine!" came Eaze's voice from under the rubble. "I'm just stuck!"

"Hold on Eaze, I'll get you out!" said Allen, activating his Innocence. Transforming his hand, Allen brought his claw down, making a small opening in the rubble. "Eaze? Eaze! Do you think you can climb through here?"

"Yeah." Replied the boy. "But hold on, I wanna check something out."

"What?"

"I said I want to check something out. There is something in here that doesn't look like a normal rock." Allen blinked.

"Why don't you bring it out here?"

"Sure!" A few minutes later, Eaze emerged from the rubble. He was covered from head to toe in soot, but otherwise, the boy looked unharmed. In his left hand he was holding something very interesting indeed.

"Eaze." said Allen, his heart racing. "Hand me that." Now it was Eaze's turn to blink.

"Why? Do you know what it is?"

"I might. Just let me take a look." The child obediently opened his hand to reveal what he had found, watching the teen. Allen's heartbeat sped up as he realized what it was. _Innocence! We have found the Innocence piece!_

"So, do you know what it is Allen?" asked Eaze, looking up at the boy. But Allen never got to finish his sentence, for at that moment, the earth started to rumble.

"Quick!" shouted Allen, grabbing hold of the child's other arm. "We have to get out of here! There might be another cave in!"

"No." said Eaze, being pulled along. "I've been in cave-ins before! This feels different." _Different?_ Allen's heart sped up as he realized that they were the only ones in the cave. _Where did everyone go?_ Allen's heartbeat sped up even more as he activated his eye, looking down below him. _Akuma!_

"Lavi!" Shouted Allen, finally emerging from the cave and spotting his friend. "Lavi! There's Akuma! Get everyone out of here!" Lavi immediately stopped what he was doing, running over to the two boys. But he never made it, for all of a sudden, the floor of the cave erupted in a new shower of coal.

"At last." Came a raspy voice. Allen's heart seemed to freeze. "At last!" Allen could only look up in horror as a large Akuma's head appeared from within the ground. "AT LAST WE HAVE FOUND THE INNOCENCE!"

And, I leave you with a cliff hanger! And I will continue to do so for the next 3 weeks! yay! *dances* So as I promised, Chapter 6 was long too! Hope you enjoyed!

Read and review please!


	7. Chapter 7

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER HAS A SOME VOILENCE AND GORE **(but only a tiny bit)** IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ, PLEASE TELL ME AND I'LL UPDATE YOU ON WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CHAPTER!**

Chapter 7

"EAZE GET OUT OF HERE!" Screamed Allen, activating his arm. Eaze seemed to be frozen, his eyes wide with fear. A giant monster appeared in front of them. His head resembled some kind of drill. Its eyes shone blood red and stared straight at him. The creature's arms were giant claws, blackened from all of the digging it had done. The thing also had long sharp teeth, grinning down at him. His tail was shaped like a pick-ax.

"Eaze!" shouted Allen's voice again, pulling the boy back to reality. "Eaze, RUN!" Eaze just stood there for a moment, before taking off like a bullet across the camp, Innocence shard in hand.

"Don't let him escape!" cried the Akuma as several other machines popped up from the ground. "That boy has the Innocence!" Now the camp was beginning to take notice of the Akuma attack, and things were starting to get hectic.

"No!" shouted Allen, activating his innocence further, pulling out his sword. "You shall not harm him!" And with that, Allen charged that the beast. "Crown Clown!" yelled the teen, bringing his sword down on the massive creature. The Akuma just laughed as he blocked the sword with one claw.

"Little hammer, big hammer, grow, grow, grow!" shouted Lavi, activating his innocence.

"Lavi!" cried Allen, but it was too late. With a yell, the red head brought the hammer down on the machine, making it fall back down into the hole into which it came.

"Whoops!" said Lavi, his hammer returning to a normal size. "He got away."

"I was going to tell you not to do that." Said Allen, looking at his friend. Lavi just smiled as scratched his head.

"Sorry. Anyway, lets go, I have a very bad feeling about this."

When the two teens finally exited the mine, they were in for a shock. Almost all of the buildings were now demolished or destroyed; a fire was now breaking out in the kitchen. As Allen looked at the scene, he saw Mathew and the other Finders moving the workers into one of the mines. Lenalee could be seen guarding the entrance of the mine from other Akuma. Most of the workers however, were not so lucky. From where Allen was standing he could see at least 70 dead bodies lying on the ground, blood pouring from wounds they had received. Allen's heart came to a stop when he saw the face of Roger Moss among the dead. His eyes were still wide with fear, a noticeable gash slashing across the man's throat.

"No!" shouted Allen, finally shaking himself from his trace. "Don't hurt anymore people!" With that, Allen tore across the camp and landed on an Akuma's back. "Crown Clown!" shouted the teen, bringing the sword down on the creatures' head. The Akuma didn't even know what hit him. As Allen looked down, he could see the empty shell of a man underneath the machine.

"Allen!" came Lavi's voice from across the camp. "Don't let the Akuma near anyone else! They aren't killing them in the normal sense! They aren't shooting them with bullets! They are _massacring_ them Allen!"

Allen's eyes widened as he realized Lavi's words were true. As he looked over the scene again, Allen could not find one mound of dust covered by clothes, signifying a human being hit with a bullet. Suddenly, a swarm of Akuma appeared in front of him, intent on killing him too. Allen's heart sped up as he saw Crack run across the camp towards the mine, something glowing in his hand. _Innocence?_ Thought Allen, lashing out at an Akuma. _But why does Crack have it? I though Eaze-_

"Crack look out!" shouted Momo's voice from the entrance of the cave. As Crack turned to look behind him, a large claw swept him off his feet, causing the man to trip and fall to the ground, the Innocence shard falling free if his grip.

"Crack!" shouted Allen, cutting through another Akuma in his way.

"Get the Innocence Allen!" shouted Lavi, fighting off a pair of Akuma. Suddenly, Allen saw a small figure dart out from behind a building and snatch the Innocence from the ground.

"Eaze!" Screeched Allen, finally finishing off the last of the Akuma. "Eaze! Give me that! You have to get out of here!" But Eaze didn't listen. Instead, he took off towards the entrance of another, older mine. This mine had been abandoned weeks ago; Roger had known that it was too unstable. And yet now the boy was running towards it, realizing that the glowing rock was what the monsters were after.

"After him!" shouted an Akuma. Allen realized that this was the same one that Lavi had hammered into the ground.

"Lavi!" cried Allen, looking over to his friend. "Come with me! Eaze has the Innocence!"

"What!" yelled the redhead, running over to his friend, "Why does Eaze have it?"

"There is no time to explain! Just come on!" Allen ran into the cave with the two teens close behind.

"Why did Eaze have to run in here?" huffed Lavi, making a sharp turn. "This place is like a maze!"

"That's probably why he picked it!" Allen shouted back at his friend. "He might be able to loose that Akuma this way."

"Yeah, and we might get lost too!"

"Just-!" Suddenly, they heard a loud scream.

"Eaze!" they both called out in unison. As they rounded the corner, the teens were horrified to see the boy on the ground, a large cut apparent on his arm, his hand still clutched around the Innocence shard. Above him, the Akuma from earlier was grinning.

"Now little brat, I gave you a choice. I warned you that you would get hurt if you didn't give me what was in your hand!"

"Get away from him!" shouted Allen, raising up his sword.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." came another Akuma's voice. Allen looked up to see a spider-shaped Akuma crawling on the ceiling, a thick strand of slime connecting to Allen's sword, preventing him from bringing it down. Lavi also seemed to be caught up in the sticky stuff, trying in vain to get free.

"I'll ask you one more time brat." sneered the first Akuma. "Give me the Innocence shard, or die!" Eaze was glued to the spot, clutching his arm and shaking like a little leaf. What should he do? He didn't want to get hurt, but he knew that if he gave the monster what he wanted, something very bad would happen. Eaze kept his mouth closed, his eyes filled with terror.

"You won't answer? Fine!" Shouted the Akuma, raising his claw. "Then DIE!"

"EAZE!"

Suddenly the cave was filled with red blood squirting from a wound. But it wasn't Eaze's blood that had been spilt. Allen's eyes widened in horror at what he saw before him.

"CRACK! MOMO! NOOOOOO!"

"Run Eaze," rasped Momo, a deep wound visible in his chest. Eaze just stood there, a look of pure terror crossing his bloodied face.

"Get out of here." ordered Crack, coughing up some blood. "Now!" With that, both men fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath them.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Screamed Allen, as he ripped free of the other Akuma's grip. Turning his arm back to a claw, Allen shouted. "Crown Edge!" The claw cut through the Akuma's body like butter, the machine screeching a high-pitched yell before falling to the ground.

"EDGE END!" Cried the teen, swiping his claw down upon the remaining Akuma.

"DAMN YOU EXORCIST!" The Level 2 screamed, as it finally fell, making one last attempt at hitting Allen. Finally, everything was over. Allen deactivated his arm, running towards his fallen friends.

"Crack! Momo! Speak to me!" yelled Allen, crashing down onto the bloodstained earth. Neither men stirred at the sound of Allen's voice.

"LAVI!" Shouted Allen, looking for the teen.

"I'm here!" called his friend, finally freeing himself of the sticky thread.

"Get Eaze out of here and get a stretcher. Crack and Momo might still be alive."

"On it!" shouted Lavi. "Come on Eaze!" He said, grabbing hold of the frozen boy. Eaze didn't even put up a fight as Lavi hauled him from the cave.

"Crack, Momo, just hold on ok? Help is-" Allen never finished his sentence, falling to the ground, unconscious.

So here is chapter 7! I know that some of you have told me that I might be loosing the main plot of the story. Right now, I won't deny that it looks that way. But trust me when I saw, everything in this story happens for a reason. This will ultimately feed into something bigger that will bring Allen and Tyki closer. For two characters who totally hate each other in reality to finally start to like one another, they have to go through some experiences that change them. This is one of those experiences. It may seem that this experience is only for Allen, but it will involve Tyki later. There will be other times where they go through their problems and dilemmas together in the story as well. There will be several times in this story, where it seems I am just throwing in random stuff without a thought, but that is not the case. There is a reason for my madness! Anyway, hope you all enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A few hours later, Allen found himself in the infirmary of the coalmine. Apparently, the Spider-like Akuma had not been completely dead and thus had managed to land one last blow to Allen's head. Crack and Momo however suffered horrible wounds and every attempt was undertaken to save them. It was a miracle that they were still alive. Eaze was on the bed next to Allen, his arm bandaged and hanging in a sling.

"Mr. Walker?" came a voice from across the room. Allen turned to see a doctor walking over to him, a grave expression on his face. "Mr. Walker, I have something I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Asked Allen as he got up from his bed. Allen had a large cut on the back of his head where the Akuma's arm had hit him, bit otherwise he was ok.

"I wish to talk to you in private. If you could be so kind as to come with me…" They both walked in total silence until they came across a room with a sign that read _Intensive Care_. The doctor moved to open the door, but abruptly stopped.

"Mr. Walker, I am afraid that your friends are not going to make it through the night." Allen's heart stopped at the words. "Mr. Crack and Mr. Momo's wounds are too severe. They need too many things that we don't have here."

"But, why can't we just transport them to a bigger hospital?" begged Allen, his heart bursting with fear. "The larger hospitals have more doctors on staff."

"While that may be true Mr. Walker, I am afraid the nearest hospital is over 100 km away from here. Transporting these two in the conditions that they are in would be impossible. You are lucky I happened to be in the next town. I am truly sorry, but there is nothing more I can do."

"But, but what about Eaze? The younger boy in the room with me. He was their friend too. What is he going to do? He has no family except Crack and Momo. Where is he going to go?"

"That." Said the doctor, opening the door. "Is what we need to discuss with you." The room that they entered was not very large, sporting only three beds and two nightstands. On the far side of the room was an open window, and through it Allen could see the sun beginning to dip down in the sky. "I will leave you here to discuss things with your friends." The doctor then turned away and slowly walked out of the building.

"Hi Allen." Came a horse voice from one of the beds in the room. "Long time no see eh?"

"Crack!" Allen said, unable to believe his eyes. "You're awake?"

"We're awake." Came Momo's voice from the other bed. "We need to talk to you about something important. It's about Eaze." Allen's heart froze again as he turned to look at the two men.

"So you know?" whispered Allen, covering his mouth with his hand. Crack and Momo sighed and nodded, a solemn expression on their faces.

"Yes we know. The doc told us an hour ago. Do you know if Roger is ok?" questioned Momo, turning his head to look at the teen. Allen's silence was enough of an answer. "Oh." muttered Momo, a painful expression crossing his face.

"He was such a good man." sighed Crack sadly, craning his neck to look up at the ceiling. "I guess that decides it for us."

"Decides what?"

Crack, turned his head to look at Allen as well. "Allen, we want Eaze to go back with you, wherever you came from."

"Me? You want me to take Eaze?" 

"We saw you fighting those monsters with a sword Allen." Said Momo, suddenly coughing. "We know that you are strong, and will be able to take care of Eaze."

"But, I don't know if I-"

"Please Allen!" begged Crack, trying to get up. "Please! Please take Eaze with you! You and your friend are the only people he knows. Everyone else here pretty much keeps to themselves, so he has no one."

"Crack! Don't get up!" cried Allen as he rushed over to his friend's side. "Your wounds! Your wounds will op-." Suddenly Allen felt a warm liquid spill on to his hand. Allen's eye's widened in horror as he saw the man's bandages were stained dark red. "Crack please! Please don't move!"

"No!" Wheezed Momo, attempting to get up too. "No! We won't stop until we know that you will take care of him! Please Allen! He is all that is left of our family!"

"Alright! Alright! I will take care of him! Just please don't move anymore you two!" The men both seemed to sigh in relief at Allen's answer, before settling back down on their cots, all their strength suddenly gone.

"Bring Eaze in here." Said Crack, closing his eyes. "He needs to know about our decision." Allen was trying really hard to stay strong, but his mask was slipping.

"I'll go get him."

A few minutes later, the boy was in the room with Allen, running over to his friends.

"Crack! Momo! Please! Please get better!" cried the boy, clutching onto Crack and Momo's hands. "Please!'

"I'm sorry Eaze." Coughed Crack, pulling his hand free to ruffle Eaze's hair slowly. "But I don't think Momo and I are going to be coming out of this one."

"No!" shouted Eaze, gripping on tighter to the both of them. "No! That can't be true! You guys always come out of these things! Come on! You can get out of this one too!" Momo just shook his head, pulling the boy close. "Please," begged the boy, tears beginning to spill from his eyes. "Don't leave me here all alone." Pain seemed to cross the man's face as he pulled Eaze into a tight embrace.

"Allen, Allen can you come over here?"

Silently Allen walked over to the dying family, tears beginning to weld up in his eyes as well. Allen's heart was heavy, as if a chain had wrapped itself around his chest.

Momo moved to hold out his hand to the teen. "Eaze, Eaze you're not going to be alone ok? You're going go with Allen ok? Allen is going to take care of you."

"No!" shouted the boy again, shifting away from the white-haired teen. "No! I want _you_ guys to take care of me! I want our family back!" The boy was now sobbing, his little chest heaving up and down. "I want you, Crack, and Tyki! I want all of you to take care of me!" A pained expression crossed Allen's face at the mention of Tyki's name.

"Eaze." Said Crack, his voice still weak, but now sounding a bit stern. "Momo and I aren't going to be around much longer, and Tyki is not here. Please! Go with Allen, for the both of us. If you go with him, then you might one day find Tyki too. We want you to go with Allen and find Tyki, and tell him what has happened here. Can you do that for me?"

Eaze just sobbed harder, pushing his body closer to Crack's. "Eaze…? Can you do that for me?" asked the man once more. The boy was still crying, but Eaze managed to make a small nod. "That's our Eaze." Praised Crack, pulling the boy into another hug. Suddenly, Crack broke out into a violent cough, his whole body shaking. When he pulled his hand away, a mouthful of blood was visible on his face.

"Crack!" shouted Momo, jerking towards his friend, before he too felt the gush of fresh blood over his wounds. Momo gasped in pain, falling onto the cot and clutching his stomach. Allen could see a thin line of blood trickle down the man's chin.

"I'm sorry… Eaze." Wheezed Crack, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "But…it's time… for us to go." Reaching over he took hold of Momo's hand, looking into his friends' eyes. Eaze just grabbed his friends' hands and hugged them close. "Allen… take good care of this kid… for us will ya?" Allen was now almost at the same level as Eaze was, tears now flowing freely down his face and nodded. Suddenly Crack's body shuttered violently, before becoming still, his eye's still gazing over at Eaze. Momo's eyes were now shedding tears as well as he looked over at his deceased friend.

"We love you…Eaze." Whispered the man, pulling the child into a tight hug. "Never…forget that…ok?" Eaze just sobbed harder into the man's shoulder, the red stain now growing to consume Momo's bandages as well. Momo let go of the child and looked into his face. "Never...forget." Eaze just nodded again, his tears never stopping. Momo laid back down and closed his eyes for the last time, a small smile lingering on his lips. The room was silent for a few moments.

"Crack?" asked Eaze, shaking the man's arm. "Momo? Wake up." There was no reply. "Come on now." Said Eaze, his voice starting to crack. "This isn't funny. Crack, Momo wake up!"

"Eaze." Whispered Allen, as he reached up to wipe his own face. "Eaze, they are not going to wake up."

Eaze's eyes were wide open, a true look of fear and terror crossing his face. "No. No no no no NO!" Eaze was frantic, hysteric. The boy was losing it. Allen could see the boy slipping farther and farther away form him.

"Crack! Momo! Get up! Please get up! No no no WAKE UP!" His friends couldn't be dead. They couldn't. They were Crack and Momo, the strongest people in the world. The people he loved most, the ones he cared for most. They couldn't be dead. They _couldn't_!

"Eaze!" Allen finally shouted. Eaze stopped and turned his head towards Allen. "I'm sorry, but Crack and Momo are gone!"

Hearing those words was the final straw. Finally the boy lost it, grabbing on to Crack and Momo's hands again and letting out a blood-curdling cry. Suddenly Allen couldn't take it anymore. In a flash Allen was at the Eaze's side, crushing the boy in a tight hug. Felling Allen's hug, Eaze let out another cry, clutching Allen's shirt. As the cried into Allen's shoulder, Allen began to see something…strange. The bodies…were moving! _No, it can't be!_ As the teen activated his eye, Allen was astonished to see the souls of Crack and Momo leaving their bodies. The souls were as white as the snow, and as pure as the sky. Allen stared in awe as he saw the souls rise from their now deceased bodies, looking around with a confused expression on their faces. As they looked over at Allen, the realization of what had happened hit them. As they made their way towards Eaze, Allen realized his hold on the boy. Wordlessly, the two souls bent down to give Eaze one last hug, before disappearing into the air, a sad smile resting on both of their faces.

"_Allen." _ Came Crack and Momo's voices over the air. Allen's head looked up at the sound, unable to believe his ears. _"Thank you, for agreeing to take care of our family. We will be watching over him, Allen."_

"_Always watching."_

Overall, 387 people had died in the Akuma attack. A few had been hit with Akuma bullets at the beginning, but as Level 2's began to appear there were casualties. Roger's throat had been cut by the sharp tail of an Akuma, resulting in a swift death. That could not be said for all of the men and women. Allen had never witnessed such a massacre as this. Most Akuma had tortured their victims before killing them, making their death a long and painful one.

A few days after the attack the surviving miners held a burial for all of their fallen comrades. The new leader had debated making a mass grave, but in the end figured it would be too disrespectful to the men. So, the third morning after the attack, the men went to work once again, but this time for a different reason. By the sixth day, 387 graves had been dug and headed properly. Crack and Momo were laid to rest next to Roger, along with a few other men. A priest had come out to their town to go through the rituals before everyone stool vigil for the night. Sobs and cries pierced the still, dark night air. As the sun began to rise, people began to clean up, placing flowers on graves before going to write to the families of the deceased about the tragedy.

"Allen." Came a small voice from behind him. As Allen turned, he saw Eaze walking over to him, his hands in his pockets.

"Hi Eaze." Said Allen, embracing the young boy. "What are you doing over here? I thought you had left with the rest of the men." Eaze just shook his head.

"I don't want to go, not just yet." Eaze put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small glowing object. Allen immediately recognized it as the Innocence shard.

"You still have this?" asked Allen, taking the Innocence into his hand. The shard was still encased in its rock shell, but its glow was clearly visible. Eaze nodded.

"I know that this is what that thing was after; that's why I took off with it. I should have just given it to you at the beginning, maybe then all of this would not have happened." Allen was expecting Eaze to burst into tears again, but was surprised to find the boy surprisingly calm. It seemed that Eaze was still in shock. The full realization of what had happened had not hit him yet. Allen just hugged the boy closer.

"What happened was not your fault Eaze. I should have been quicker and stopped the Akuma." Eaze just gave Allen a blank stare. "Akuma. That is the name of those monsters. They are machines created by the Millennium Earl, an evil man who wants to destroy this world. My friends and I have the power to fight these things, and it is our duty to protect you people. This rock you handed me also has this power, but it can't be used until it chooses an accommodator. This power is called Innocence, and is what I have implanted in my arm and lets me fight. It's my fault that I couldn't protect you all." explained Allen quietly, a tear spilling from his eye.

"I don't understand."

"You will Eaze. You will. The place we are going deals with this everyday. Lavi, Lenalee and I are part of the Black Order, and we fight these creatures to save their souls. You will learn about all of this when you join us."

"Wait," said Eaze, looking up at Allen. "You aren't going to take me with you?"

Allen shook his head, as he fought to contain the overwhelming sadness and grief. "No. As much as I want to Eaze, I can't take you back right away. My friends and I have to get back to the Black Order first; you and the Finders Jake and Philip, will be coming a few days later. We have to tell them that you are coming. But don't worry; we will only be separated for a few days. I promise."

Eaze just nodded, unable to comprehend anything at the time. Yet he trusted the teen.

"Come on." Allen took the child's hand in his own. "We have to go. Everyone is going to be wondering where we are." Silently, the two walked back down the hillside, leaving Crack and Momo's graves far behind them, flowers resting on the small mounds of earth.

"Allen?" Called Lenalee's voice through the crowd. It was now late in the day, and the sun was almost beginning to set once more. Cleaning up the camp had been hard. Many of the buildings had been destroyed in the fire, leaving little food and shelter. "Allen? Where are you?" Suddenly, she spotted the teen, running his hand under a water faucet.

"Allen?" Allen whipped his head around at the call, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yes Lenalee?"

"I was just coming over to tell you it's almost time to leave. Mathew says if we don't leave in a few minutes, we'll miss our train."

"Alright. I'll be over there in a few minutes." Lenalee nodded and headed back over to Lavi and Mathew. As soon as Lenalee was out of sight, Allen removed his hand from his pocket, looking at the object in his palm. It was the Innocence shard, now free of its rock prison, but there was something…wrong with it. Allen ran it under the faucet again, but the shard stayed the same. _What is wrong with this piece?_ Thought Allen, holding it up to his eye once more. The thing definitely _was_ an Innocence piece, but instead of being a light green, the shard was dyed a dark black.

Eight hours later, the group was back at Headquarters; the Innocence piece tucked safely inside Allen's coat. Allen had not even bothered to go to Helvaska. He knew that this was no ordinary piece of Innocence, and thought it best to take it to the Science Department first, to see what was different about it.

"Hey Reever!" called Allen, "Could you check this out?"

"Hi Allen." said Reever, jogging over to meet him. Reveer's expression was grave, as was all of the Science Department. Everyone in the Black Order had heard about the terrible massacre that had occurred, but none were willing to talk about it.

Allen was just silent for a moment before getting back to the task at hand. "Could you please look at this Innocence shard? I think something is wrong with it."

On the other side of the department sat Tyki. Tyki was minding his own business, wondering if he was going to get lunch Kanda, as he had suspected, was not as nice as Allen when it came to food, and often left Tyki to stave for meals at a time. As Tyki looked around the cell, he spotted a familiar sight. The man's hart leapt at the sight of the white-haired teen. _Finally! He's back!_

"Interesting." Commented Reever as he inspected the Innocence piece. "And you say it was like this when you found it?"

"Yes, and that is what is odd about it."

"Hmmmmmm. Could I and the other scientists have a look at this for a while?"

"Yes, I was hoping you would say that."

"Alright then! I'll just take the Innocence and we-" He never got to finish his sentence, for at that moment, the Innocence shard began to glow.

"What's going on?" Asked Reever, the light getting brighter.

"I don't-" Suddenly, the Innocence flew right out of Reever's hand, and flew straight across the Science Department. Suddenly, the room was engulfed by a bright light, blinding the occupants of the floor. As the light died down, Allen gasped. There was Tyki, looking mildly surprised while inspecting at his hands. Around them were a pair of Dark Gloves, and on them rested the image of a Butterfly.

"Well isn't this interesting boy," smirked Tyki. "It seems that I am an accommodator for one of your precious Innocence."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"No way!" exclaimed Lavi, as he took a large bite out of his chicken leg. It was a few days later, but already news was flying throughout the Black Order about the new accomodator, Tyki.

"It is true." replied Allen as he wiped his mouth on a napkin. "Tyki is compatible with a piece of Innocence, and therefore can become an Exorcist."

"It is probably a fake. The Earl could have made one for him."

"No I don't think so. When the Science Department tested it, they told me that it really was a piece of Innocence."

"Still, I've never heard of a black Innocence before." noted Lenalee.

"Well neither have I, but the Science Department is looking into it. But nevertheless, they are still having me keep a watch on Tyki. Speaking of which, I need to go down and feed him."

"What? Has Tyki become your pet or something?" Asked Lavi as he leaned over and looked at Allen. Allen sighed, pushing his friends face out of the way.

"No, but I _am _still in charge of him."

"Allen, are you going to tell him about…the mission?" Asked Lenalee quietly. Suddenly the air got very heavy, a black cloak seemed to engulf the group. While the three friends may have been back for a few days, Allen had yet to tell Tyki about the mission.

"Do I really have a choice Lenalee?" muttered Allen, looking up from his plate. Lenalee seemed like she was going to respond, but then thought better of it. "Crack, Momo, and Eaze were Tyki's only human friends. He deserves to know about them; be him evil or not. However, I am only going to tell him when I think the time is right. This will be a large blow to him."

"Heck, it was a huge blow to the entire Black Order, and they weren't even there!" Commented Lavi. Allen nodded.

"I'll tell him eventually, but not yet. Not yet."

Inhaling deeply, Tyki let the smoke from his cigarette fill his lungs. Oh, how he would love to get out and walk around, but he knew he couldn't. He wanted to return to the Earl, and see if he could get his powers back. He longed to get back to see his human friends too.

As he watched the smoke swirl in the air, Tyki saw his caretaker coming towards his direction form the corner of his eye. Seeing the boy carrying food, Tyki exhaled the smoke before stomping out his treat. Finally, he could eat! It was nice having the boy back. That blue-haired samurai had left him without food for several days while the teen was away. Tyki would not be surprised if he had lost weight as a result. As the boy got close, Tyki noticed the difference again. It wasn't his appearance, but it was something else. It had been the same in the past few days. Ever since the teen had returned from his mission, something was different about him. He was still talkative, and seemed to act normally around him, but it was different than before. Allen seemed to be a little reclusive, and had stopped asking about Tyki's friends. As soon as Allen spotted Tyki looking at him however, the boy's attitude changed completely.

"Good morning Tyki." Said Allen cheerfully as he approached the man's cell. "I got some chicken and gravy for dinner. I'm sorry I couldn't get a potato though."

"Don't worry about it." Replied the man, studying the boy. Allen looked the same as usual. He didn't appear to have any injuries (other than the one on his head of course), and his Innocence was still working. Nothing different. But there was, Tyki just couldn't see it. He knew it was there. As he looked at the boy's eyes, he saw it. On the surface, the grey-colored orbs looked no different from the rest of his body. But as Tyki gazed deeper into Allen eyes, he could see a hesitation. An uncertainty. A secret. A lie.

"Tyki?" Asked Allen, pulling the man from his thoughts. Tyki blinked to see Allen straining , looking a little confused.

"Oh. Sorry." Muttered the man as he took the tray of food from Allen's hands. He had seen it. The lie. There was something Allen was hiding from him, and he was determined to find out what it was.

"Thank you for the meal." The two engaged into a small conversation as Tyki munched on his chicken. Allen seemed to be the same as always. The Order had no plans to send Allen on another mission anytime soon, so life had gone back to the way it had been before the boy had left. But Tyki knew better. He noticed the way the Science Department looked at him when they ran their tests. Whatever Allen was hiding, the rest of the Order seemed to know about it.

"…And that was when Lenalee told Lavi that he had not actually eaten a cooked snail, he had eaten a raw slug!" Finished Allen, chuckling.

"You seem to have a fun time with your friends." Commented Tyki as he downed the last bit of chicken on his plate.

"Yeah." Sighed Allen. "Lavi and Lenalee are really nice people."

"My friends are like that too. I remember one time we managed to trick Crack into thinking that there was no work on one day. He took the day off, and as a result was punished with scrubbing the bathrooms. We helped him out though of course, since we were the reason he was there in the first place. But Crack really needed the time off, so it was a pretty good day." Tyki noticed that as soon as he mentioned his friends, Allen had gone silent. As he looked at the boy's eyes, he saw the lie once more.

"You saw my friends while you were on the mission didn't you." Stated Tyki. It was not a question. It was a fact. Allen's head snapped up.

"What are you-?"

"Don't lie to me boy." Cautioned Tyki, standing up to tower over the boy. "While I am a prisoner here, I am not blind. I know you are hiding something from me."

Allen said nothing, his eyes hidden behind his bangs.

"Oi boy!" barked Tyki, getting a little irritated that the boy was taking no notice of his comment. "What happened on the mission? What happened to my friends? I demand that you tell me!" The room was silent for a long time. Finally, Allen raised his head once more. Tyki was stopped. Gone was the mask of deceit that Allen had so carefully woven over himself, and in its place, a look of great sadness, sorrow, and regret.

"I was hoping to tell you this in under different circumstances, but I guess I have no choice."

Allen's words sent shivers up Tyki's spine. Something had happened on that mission. Something bad.

"I did, in fact, see your friends on the mission. I saw all three of them. They were working at the coal mine. Lavi, Lenalee, and I were there. We had hoped to locate the Innocence piece there, and we did find the shard; actually, Eaze was the one to find it. But as we were coming back from the mine, there was an attack on the camp."

Tyki froze. _No. _

"Many miners died in what is now known as the Miner's Massacre." _No no no no NO!_

"Tyki Mikk, your friends and several others were killed during this Akuma attack."

A/N And here is chapter 9! I hope you have enjoyed my story so far!

Next week: Tyki's reaction!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"_Tyki Mikk, your friends and several others were killed during this Akuma attack."_

No.

"_I did everything I could, but their wounds were too great. We could not save them."_

_No_

"_I am sorry, Tyki."_

_NO!_

Allen stared at the man, waiting for a reaction. A thousand emotions seemed to be running across the man's face; ranging from hate, to sorrow, to shock. And yet Tyki did not move. There was no screaming or pounding of fists on the floor. There was…nothing.

"Tyki?" whispered Allen as he reached his hand between the bars of the cell. "I am so sorry to tell you this. I know that they meant a lot to you."

"No they didn't." muttered Tyki suddenly as he jerked away from Allen's outstretched hand. "To me, they were just another bunch of stupid humans who got caught up in all of this. They were no different from every other human that I have killed." Allen stared at Tyki, not believing his ears for a minute.

"Tyki, I know that it might not be my place to say anything, but I believe that you really felt love for them." Tyki turned away from Allen. "Even though you say that you will kill what you love, I just can't believe your words. I have seen you with them, I have watched you talk about them, and I can see that you cared for them deeply." Tyki was silent, his eyes and body unmoving.

"To me, you seem as if you are putting up a front for the Earl, or rather, yourself. You are just trying to convince yourself that humans mean nothing to you, when in reality, you loved your human friends more than anything on this planet. To hear that they were attacked must be hard for you." Silently, Allen placed his hand on the man's shoulder. He was warm, very warm. As the teen watched his prisoner, a great sadness seemed to envelope him. He knew this was going to be hard. That was why he had tried to prolong this moment as long as he could. But there was nothing he could do. Nothing he could say. But he should try. He should try for the sake of the man, and for his own sake as well. "But that is why we fight the Earl; to prevent things like this from happening."

"Shut up!" said Tyki, slamming the boy's hand away again. As Allen looked the man over once more, the teen could see Tyki's shoulders were shaking. Whether from fury or sadness, he could not tell. "You know nothing about my life. You have no idea how hard it is to be a Noah!"

Allen seemed taken aback by the comment. In reality, Allen knew fully well what it was like to be a Noah (he had the 14th living inside of him for crying out loud!), but he knew that what he was experiencing from the 14th was different from the other Noah.

"To not be allowed to love anything," continued the man, his voice lowering to almost a whisper. "You have no idea how hard that is on a person." Allen was shocked. Tyki's voice seemed to take on a new tone. This time, his voice was not filled with anger, rather with sadness. It was barely audible, but Allen could hear it nonetheless.

"These hands," said Tyki, looking down at his hands. "Have spilled so much blood, that it would fill an ocean." Tyki closed his fist. "And these hands," he moaned, "would have had to have spilled the blood of my best friends in two weeks time, had I not been captured by you." Tyki buried his face inside his hands, not looking at the white-haired teen standing before him.

"I do have some good news though." Allen continued. "The little boy, Eaze**,** survived the attack, and is being taken here, to live at the Black Order."

Tyki's head snapped up. "What?" He whispered. "No, no, no!"

"What's the matter?" Asked Allen, looking at Tyki. "I thought you would be happy to hear that at least one of your friends is safe."

"Shut up!" Shouted the man. "I am happy that Eaze is alive, but I don't want him to come. Not here."

"Why? Out of all of the places on this Earth, this would be the safest place to hide from Akuma!"

"It is not that I am worried about them hiding. It's just that, I tried so hard to not let my friends get into this war. They did not belong in this world. And they certainly do not belong here with my enemies!"

"Well if you have not forgotten Tyki," said Allen, ignoring the way Tyki had spat the word _enemies_. "You are no longer a Noah, and you are compatible with Innocence. We are no longer your enemies, whether you like it or not."

"Just leave me." whispered Tyki. Allen stared at Tyki briefly, before getting up from his seat and turning to leave.

"I will be back with breakfast in the morning." Allen said over his shoulder. "Your friend will be here in a few days." Allen started to walk away, when he heard something he never thought he would hear come from the Ex-Noah's mouth.

"Allen, wait." The boy could not believe his ears. Tyki had called him by his first name!

"Please, if it is essential for Eaze to come here, do not let him know I am here. Please." Allen turned back to the Ex-Noah.

"Don't worry, your secret will be safe with me." Allen smiled over at Tyki, who was already climbing into his bed cot.

"Goodnight, Tyki Mikk."

Ok so here is chapter 10! I know it's short, but the next chapter will be a little longer. Hope you enjoy!

Also, if you guys like my writing, I have another work that isn't fanfiction posted on my DeviantART account. You can find the link to my page on my profile. Just go to my gallery and go to "Original". The one-shot is called "Broken Words." I have other one-shots that I've written and I plan on posting them there sometime in the near future. Hope you guys enjoy! 

~AnimeGirl124~


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Eaze arrived at the Black Order a few days later, just as Allen promised. His head was turned down as he silently followed the Finder Jake in front of him.

"This is the dinning room," explained Jake, "this is were you will be eating all of your meals. And over here is where you order your food. Jerry will be more than happy to make you anything you want to eat. Most Finders eat over on the left side of the dinning room, but you are free to sit wherever you like."

Eaze still did not say anything. Jake sighed. "I know that this is going to take a little getting used to, but for now, just be happy that you are alive." The boy nodded, and the Finder continued. It took a good two hours to show Eaze around, but the child seemed to remember where everything was. Afterward, they both headed to the cafeteria to get some food.

"Hey, isn't that the new kid?" whispered a Finder.

"Yeah, I heard that his friends were killed in the Miner's Massacre," replied another. "He wasn't supposed to come here, but Walker-dono apparently made a deal with the boy's guardians before they passed to take care of him. The higher up's decided that he will become a Finder, even though he is only seven."

"Interesting. Hey kid!" Shouted the first Finder, "come sit over here with us!" But Eaze was not paying attention to the finders. "Allen!" shouted the boy, running over to the teen's table. Allen was sitting at the other side of the room with Lavi and Lenalee, enjoying his breakfast with the two when the boy spotted him.

"Eaze-san, I don't think that you-" but the boy was already half way to the table. "Hey!" shouted the Finder, but the boy ignored him. _Oh, I'll get him after lunch_, thought the man. _He still needs to be tested by __Hevlaska__ anyway._

Allen heard Eaze's voice before he even saw the boy. As he saw the boy running towards him, his face seemed to soften.

"Hi Eaze." The boy only ran over to Allen and gave him a big hug.

Allen seemed taken aback by the action, but soon regained his posture. Looking down at the boy he smiled. "See? I told you that you would be here soon." Eaze just seemed to grip onto Allen tighter.

"Yo Eaze!" said Lavi, getting up from his seat and walking over to Allen's side of the table. "Good to see you again." Eaze released Allen to look over at the red-haired teen.

"Hi Lavi-san, Lenalee-chan."

"Hello Eaze-kun." chirped Lenalee, smiling.

"Allen, can I eat with you guys?" asked Eaze, looking up at the teen.

Allen smiled. "I would love to eat with you Eaze, but I have to go somewhere right now. But don't worry, I'll be back in an hour."

"But you were just eating!"

"I know, but now that I'm finished I have to take care of something."

"Wait! Let me come with you!"

"I don't think so. I have to go by myself."

"Oh, so do you have a secret job like Tyki?"

"Sort of."

Suddenly, Eaze seemed to pause. His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Is this the secret place that Tyki always went to?" Allen froze. "Is he here? How is he? I want to see him! This is the place right?" Allen turned to look at the boy.

"Sorry," said Allen, "Tyki-san isn't here." Eaze's face fell.

"Are you sure Allen? Tyki is always going off somewhere to do his secret job. This might be where he is."

"I'm sorry Eaze, but he is not here."

"I know almost everyone in the Order." commented Lavi, sitting back down in his chair. "If he was here the Finder would have told you before you arrived."

"Oh." Allen felt a pang of guilt shoot through his heart. He hated to lie to Eaze, but it was for the boy's own good. Tyki had asked him to the tell Eaze that he was there, and that's just what Allen planned on doing.

"Don't worry Eaze," said the teen, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll find him. I promise." Eaze seemed to be reassured by the statement, smiling up at the teen.

"I have to get going. You can eat with Lavi and Lenalee here, but I think Jake wants to talk to you later, so be sure to find him ok?" Eaze just nodded. "Now, go off and order some food. The meat here is great!" At this, Eaze's face seemed to brighten.

"Ok." With that, Eaze walked over to talk to Jerry.

"You know he is going to find out sooner or later." sighed Lavi, leaning back in his chair. Allen paused as he picked up his dish.

"I know, but I would prefer it to be later. See you guys later."

Tyki was sleeping on his bed when Allen arrived with his food. As the boy peered into the dark cell, Allen could make out the faint outline of Tyki's body under the sheets. Quietly, Allen placed the food tray on the ground, before taking a seat next to the cell door. Tyki had gone through so much recently. From being captured, to loosing his powers, to loosing two of his best friends. That would be hard on anyone. Allen's gaze drifted to the man's face. Despite Tyki's actions, the man really did have a handsome face. His dark curls obscured most of Allen's view, but he could still see the man's closed eyes, a dried trail of tears visible on his cheek. The trail led to the man's left hand, onto which his head was propped upon. His mouth was open in a silent snore, and Allen could see the sheets rise with every breath the man took.

_Tyki really is…beautiful._

Allen nearly slapped himself. _Tyki? Beautiful?_ Why was he thinking _that!_

_I'm a guy! _Thought Allen, ignoring the fluttering within his chest. _Tyki's a guy! There's no way-_

"Allen?" Came Tyki's voice from the bed. Allen pulled himself from his thoughts to see Tyki staring at him. _Damn it! When did he wake up?_

"B-breakfast is here Tyki." stuttered Allen, pushing the food in between the bars.

"Finally!" said Tyki, yawning as he got up to stretch. "What was keeping you? I fell asleep waiting for you! Thanks for the cards by the way."

"Your welcome. And it was your friend, Eaze, that kept me." Tyki stopped mid-stretch.

"So, he came today?"

"Yeah. He is still…depressed about the attack, but when he saw Lavi, Lenalee, and me, his mood brightened up."

"So he recognized you and your friends?"

"Yeah." Tyki smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"I'll try to bring you news of him when I come down here."

"I would appreciate that."

"Anyway, I have to go and get some stuff done." said Allen, standing up. "I'll pick up the dished later ok?" Tyki smiled.

"Sure."

Allen sighed as he rode the elevator up. Why did he have such a strange thought about Tyki? Sure, he had been around the man for quite some time now, but that still didn't explain why-

"Allen! Allen!" shouted someone as the white-haired teen got off the elevator. Allen turned to see Lenalee running towards him.

"Hi Lenalee," greeted Allen. "What do you need?"

"Allen, you have got to come, NOW." ordered Lenalee, grabbing a hold of the teen's arm.

"What, where?" Asked Allen, as he was pulled along. _Did I do something wrong?_

"Nii-san has to talk to you about something. Something important." replied the girl, as she made her way back to the elevator.

"What is it about?"

"Eaze." Allen's heart stopped at the boy's name.

"What, what is wrong with him?"

"Nothing, Eaze is fine, but something has happened." whispered Lenalee, arriving at her brother's floor and pulling Allen towards the room.

"Lenalee, what has happe-?"

"Allen, Allen, Allen!" cried another voice from inside the office. Allen turned to see Eaze running towards him, a big grin stretched on his face. "Guess what?"

"What?" Asked Allen, smiling down at the excited child.

"I'm an Exorcist!" Shouted the boy, jumping up and down in place. Allen froze. "I get to fight those bad things with you! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah!" said Allen, trying not to faint. "That will be great!" _Man will I have something to tell Tyki tonight!_

"Correction Eaze, you are an accommodator." remarked Komui, getting up from his desk. "Just because you are compatible with an Innocence shard does not make you a full fledged Exorcist." Eaze sat down with a huff, clearly wanting to pout about the subject.

"Eaze…is an accommodator?" asked Allen, still reeling from shock.

"I told you that this was important." muttered Lenalee, taking a seat across from her brother.

"Yes, it appears to be the case Allen," said Komui, sighing as he sat back down. "While this young boy is only six-"

"Seven." corrected Eaze.

"Seven years old, it appears that he has been chosen by Innocence, making him the youngest person ever to become an Exorcist."

"Wait," said Allen, taking a seat near Lenalee. "Eaze can't be an Exorcist. Not yet at least. I trained with Master for several years before I became an Exorcist."

"And this is where you come in Allen," motioned Komui, looking the teen in the eye. Allen stiffened. He knew this couldn't be good. "Now, you know that before an accommodator can call him or herself an Exorcist, he or she must be apprenticed to a General to receive proper training."

"Allen, I want you to train me to become an Exorcist," said Eaze, looking up at the teen. Allen blinked, trying to process what the boy had just said.

"Me? To train you?"

"Yep!" Said Eaze, getting up to run around again. "I want Allen Walker to be my master!" Allen seemed like he was going to pass out from the overload of new information. Luckily, Lenalee sensed what was on his mind.

"Eaze." She spoke kindly. "Would you mind waiting outside for a few minutes while Nii-san and I talk with Allen for a while?" Eaze stopped running around, suddenly looking very sad.

"Why? Why can't I stay with you?"

"We just need to talk to Allen alone for a moment. I promise we won't keep him long. Just for a few minutes." Eaze looked over at Allen, hoping the boy would say something in his defense.

"I'm sorry Eaze, but I need to talk with thee two for just a few minutes. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"But, but why?" Said Eaze, starting to cry. Seeing the boy shed tears was enough to break Allen's heart, but he had to stay strong.

"I just need to discuss some private stuff with them quickly. I'll be out before you know it. And you know what? If you stay outside and wait for me, I'll have Jerry cook you up some homemade cookies, just for you OK?" Eaze sniffed once before whipping away his tears and nodding. Lenalee got up and wrapped Eaze in a warm hug, trying to comfort the boy.

"We'll let Allen out in just a few minutes ok?" she promised, looking down at the boy.

"Ok." Said Eaze, as Lenalee let go of him. "I'll be outside the door ok Allen? I'll wait." Allen smiled and nodded.

"I'll be right out." Eaze smiled once before disappearing behind the door.

"Ok," said Komui, looking over at the two left in the room. "Allen, could you also tell Jerry to make some cookies for me as well?" His sister answered Komui with a whack over the head.

"Nii-san."

"So why does Eaze want me to be his teacher?" Asked Allen, looking over at the two siblings. Komui sighed before answering.

"Well as you can see, Eaze is going through a difficult time in his life. He has no parents, no relatives, no one to take care of him other than you. You are the only person Eaze really knows at this point, so he wants to be with you. Besides, you already promised the boy's friends that you would look after him."

"Yeah I know but-"

"Eaze is feeling very lonely right now." explained Lenalee, placing a hand on Allen's leg. "He doesn't want anyone else he knows to die, so he wants to be with you. He is scared that if he leaves you for just a second, something bad will happen to you."

"Then why does he want to become an Exorcist?" questioned Allen, looking over at Komui. "If he doesn't want to see anyone else die, then why does he want to live here?"

"Eaze doesn't want to stay helpless forever Allen." answered Komui, looking serious again. "He wants to be able to fight and protect his friends, just like you want to protect yours."

"So why do you want him to become my apprentice?" Asked Allen. "Why are you letting him convince himself that I will be his master? Isn't he supposed to be apprenticed to a General?"

"Yes, normally that is how it would work Allen, but right now the Generals are very preoccupied. Klaud Nine is busy training Timothy in Australia and Froi Tiedoll is still training Chaozii in China. Kevin Yeegar is dead, and for all we know so is Marian Cross."

"So why not let Winters Socalo take care of him?" Asked Allen. The room was quiet for a few minutes as Allen realized what he had just asked.

"Allen, you know as well as I do that Socalo would rip that boy apart." Said Lenalee, sighing.

"Besides, he hates taking on apprentices, even more so than Cross." noted Komui, pushing up his glasses. "That young boy need some love right now, but also need someone to train him. Allen, we all know that you are as strong as any General, and Eaze already knows you. It would be healthier for him if Eaze stayed with you."

"But what if he finds out about Tyki?" asked Allen, looking Komui in the eye. "I already have to take care of him. You can't expect me to take care of both of them without Eaze finding about Tyki can you?"

"That may be a problem, but we are confident that you can figure something out." replied Komui, getting up from his chair. "Allen, we really need you to take care of Eaze right now. He is not very emotionally stable at the moment, as you have just seen his frequent mood changes. He is scared, and wants to be around someone he knows. Please, all we need is your approval and all of this can end." Allen was silent for a few moments before he sighed, knowing that he had already lost the battle.

"Fine, I'll train him."

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Komui, clapping his hands together. "Now, I believe you have left the boy in question waiting for you outside, Allen. I think you should go out now and tell him about the decision ok?"

"All right." Said Allen, getting up from his chair as well.

"Oh and Allen," called Komui as the teen headed for the door.

"Yes?"

"Could you possibly bring up some of those homemade cookies as well-?" Komui's sentence was cut off by another blow to the head by his sister.

"Ow Lenalee!" Whined Komui as he rubbed his sore head. "Why did you have to hit me again?"

"Because you are being rude! Those cookies are fore Allen and Eaze only!"

"Aw~!" pouted Komui, sitting back in his chair. "They can at least share!" Allen smiled as he left the two siblings to quarrel about the cookies, closing the door behind him.

"Are you done Allen?" peeped a hopeful voice. Allen turned to see Eaze standing next to the door. Allen smiled.

"Yes, I am done. And it has been decided that I will be your master for becoming an Exorcist." Eaze's eyes widened with joy as he threw himself at the boy, hugging his waist. Allen was caught off guard at the action, but then smiled and returned the hug, patting the boy on the head as he stood up.

"Now, who wants to have some cookies?" Eaze's eyes got wide once more with excitement.

"I do! I do!" shouted the boy, hopping up and down.

"Well then lets go! If we hurry, maybe Jerry will let us have some before the next meal!" Eaze grinned and ran towards the elevator, his whole body shaking with excitement. Allen smiled as he followed the boy, but in his mind he was worried. _What will happen if Eaze finds out about Tyki?_

It was late that night when Allen heard a knock on his bedroom door. Allen groaned as he looked at the clock that read 2 am.

"Who is it?" groaned Allen, trying to go back to sleep.

"I-it's me." Came a small voice from behind the door. Allen immediately recognized the voice as Eaze's, and got up from his bed. When Allen opened the door, he saw the small seven year old shaking and crying on his doorstep.

"Eaze!" shouted Allen, kneeling down to the boy's height. "Eaze, what is wrong?"

"I c-can't s-s-sleep." sobbed the boy, hugging himself. "E-every t-time I g-go to sleep, I-I see…Crack and M-Momo's faces, and I g-get scared." Allen wore a sad smile as he embraced the crying boy.

"Come on, why don't you come in? I have a big enough bed, so you can sleep with me tonight. How is that?" Eaze just nodded before bursting into tears again. Allen just hugged the boy close and let him cry. When Eaze seemed to be done, the two walked back into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Eaze, come to bed, I'll make sure those nightmare don't bother you. And if they do, just remember that when you wake up, I'll be right beside you to comfort you ok? I'm not going anywhere." Eaze sniffed a few times before climbing into bed with Allen, sleep and exhaustion finally taking over the two boys.

And here is Chapter 11 folks! I am SO sorry this one is so late! I swear I had this thing ready to go two days ago, but we didn't have Internet connection until now so I couldn't upload anything! (I was camping). I hope that having this be a long chapter (and the little TykixAllen moment I put in there for you) makes up for it!

P.S. Yes, I know the last scene is OOC for Allen, but I like it so it stays!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tyki sat on his bed, shuffling through a deck of cards in his cell. He let out a long breath as he let his head fall back onto the wall, thinking about his friend. After a few weeks at the Black Order, Eaze was apparently doing fine, at least according to Allen. This should have made the man happy but... there was still part of him that was angry to hear that his only human friend was now an Exorcist...

Tyki smirked to himself. He wasn't the one to talk, considering he too, was an accommodator.

Eaze had decided that his Innocence was to be stored in the birthday present Crack and Momo had given to him. The top still retained it normal shape when activated, but it would now could release several objects, ranging from thorns to water vapor to poisonous gas. The Science Department was indeed fascinated by this power.

Allen also noted Eaze already had a 30% compatibility rate with his Innocence, even though the boy had never used it.

The only news that comforted Tyki was hearing that Allen would be taking care of Eaze, at least until he became a full-fledged Exorcist. Ever since Tyki found out about his friend's deaths, Allen and Tyki's relationship had gotten a lot closer. As much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to like the white-haired boy.

Maybe more than he should.

"Good morning Tyki." came Allen's voice from across the Science Department. Tyki stopped his shuffling momentarily to see Allen walking towards him with his breakfast. Expecting to see the usual eggs and bacon on the tray, Tyki was surprised to see the boy bearing a large stack of pancakes. As the boy got closer, Tyki could also see that Allen had even managed to get butter and a cup of syrup to go with the meal. Tyki seemed to be amused as Allen passed him the food through the bars of the cell.

"Pancakes?" questioned Tyki, raising an eyebrow. ""What's the special occasion?"

"I had a feeling you were getting bored with the eggs and bacon, so I got you something a little different today." answered his jailer as he took a seat in front of the cell.

"Thank you. Do you think you could get a scone and some coffee tomorrow?"

"I'll try. The scone should be easy, but I don't know about the coffee. Oh! Do you have any laundry today?"

"Yeah yeah." replied Tyki, walking over and grabbing a black bag from under his bed. "You forgot it last night."

"Sorry." muttered Allen as he took the bag from the man. "I was kind of in a hurry."

"I noticed. How is Eaze today?"

"Well, Eaze is going to start his training on Friday, so he's kind of excited right now."

Tyki didn't even get to bite into his pancake stack before his appetite was gone. "Why do you always have to give me the bad news _before_ I have finished my meal?" sighed the man, pushing away the food. "You keep ruining my appetite!"

"Sorry." Said Allen, looking slightly embarrassed. "You asked though."

"True."

"Anyway, I don't know if this is good news to you or bad news, considering you were a Noah before." Tyki seemed to pause at the statement, turning his fork over in his hands.

"Well, personally I don't know what to make of it. I don't like the idea of Eaze fighting on the front lines at such a young age, however, I guess I am glad that Eaze is at least learning to defend himself."

"So you are starting to change your outlook on life after all!" said Allen, smiling as he sat down at his usual spot in front of the cell. "Oh! And I actually have some good news today as well. The higher up's are thinking about releasing you from your confinement and allowing you to live amongst the other Exorcists."

"Now _that_ is some good news!" exclaimed Tyki, his appetite returning. "That is the best news I have heard in months! Finally, I might be able to get out of this damn cell!"

"Sorry it is not very fun in there. I have been trying to sneak in things I thought you would like." muttered Allen, pretending to be offended.

"I appreciate that, but it is still boring as hell in here."

"How could you possibly be bored? I got you a set of cards, dice, several books, and even snuck you a pack of cigarettes!"

"Alright- you do have a point there." admitted Tyki as he handed Allen his empty tray. As Tyki passed the bag through the bars, his hand momentarily brushed against Allen's. Immediately the boy stiffened, yanking the bag into his side of the bars. Tyki blinked. What was with the boy's reaction? Suddenly, a memory came to the surface of his mind. A few days ago, when Allen had told him that his friends were dead, Tyki had woken to seeing the boy staring at him with a strange expression on his face. A wicked smile crossed his face as he leaned forward in his seat, an idea suddenly popping into his head.

"See if you can sneak in a chess board though. That might help me not be so bored." Said the man, looking straight down at the boy.

"But how are you going to be able to play chess by yourself?" asked Allen, looking confused.

In a flash Tyki's hand darted out from behind the cell, grabbing hold of Allen's arm and pulling him close to the bars. Allen blinked; suddenly Tyki's face was very close to his.

"Oh I won't be playing by myself," whispered Tyki, his breath hot on the boy's face. "I was planning on making you stay down here to play with me." Allen jerked his hand away from the bars and out of Tyki's grasp, heat rising to his face.

"I-I will think about it." muttered the boy, not looking at the Noah. Had Allen not turned away and hidden his face, Tyki might have been able to see a small dusting of pink glaze over the boy's cheeks. But Tyki had seen enough. The boy's reaction had confirmed his suspicions. "But right now, I have to help the kitchen get ready for Eaze's welcoming party." Continued Allen.

"Welcoming party?"

"Whenever a new Exorcist joins the Black Order, we welcome them with a big party." explained the boy, still not looking at the man.

"Interesting."

"Anyway, I will tell you how it goes later tonight." In one quick motion, Allen was on his feet, laundry bag in hand, and walking towards the elevator. A thousand thoughts raced through his head, but one seemed to stick out from all of the rest.

_Blushing? Why was he blushing?_

************************************************************************************

It took only a few minutes for Allen to reach his desired floor, but those few minutes seemed to last an eternity. _Why was he blushing? Why did his heart pounding as soon as Tyki's hand grabbed his arm? Why was it so hard to speak to the man afterwards? Why did it still feel like he had a lump in his throat? And why can't he think of anything else but how close they were? _

"Hey Allen!" shouted a happy voice from behind the white-haired Exorcist. Allen pried his thought from Tyki and turned to see Eaze running over to him. He smiled at the sight.

"Hi Eaze. I thought I told you to stay with Lenalee for a while."

"Komui-san called her up for something, so I thought I'd come looking for you." Eaze tilted his head to the side, finally taking notice of the bag of clothing in Allen's right hand.  
>"What are those?" wondered Eaze, pointing to the bag of laundry. <em>Uh oh<em>. "Um, those are my clothes." Said Allen, moving the bag behind him.

"Why are your clothes in the Science Department?" questioned the boy, looking up at his mentor. "That's where you were coming from right?"

"Well yeah but-" Eaze pulled the bag from Allen's hand and peered inside.

"These can't be your clothes Allen." stated the boy as he held up a black jacket. "These are way to big for you, and all of them are tuxedos."

"Well, what I meant to say is that these are someone else's clothes." Said Allen, giving up on lying. _Why did Tyki have to insist on wearing a tuxedo? He is a prisoner of war for crying out loud! _ "I am just taking them up to be washed."

"No one I know wears tuxedos in the Science Department." _Damn it! Why does he have to be so observant?__  
><em>  
>"Well, you see, I am in charge of taking care of someone down there." Allen could see no way out of this. He would just have to pray that Eaze was not in a curious mood today, which, the way things were going now, was not very likely.<p>

"Really? Who?" asked Eaze.

"Just someone." Allen turned to Eaze. "I would appreciate it of you would not ask me anymore questions." Eaze blinked, then nodded.

"Ok, I won't ask you anymore questions."

"Thank you." sighed Allen, relief flooding through his body. "Now if you would excuse me, I have to go clean these clothes." And with that, Allen disappeared, running as fast as he could to the laundry room. Eaze turned to a Finder that happened to be passing by.

"Excuse me sir," he asked politely, "But who exactly is Allen-sensei taking care of?" The Finder turned to the boy.

"A few months before you came, Mr. Walker went on a very interesting mission."

"Ooooo!" said Eaze, clearly interested. "What happened on the mission?"

"Mr. Walker and his group came across a Noah."

"A Noah?"

"A Noah is an evil human that serve the Millennium Earl," explained the Finder. "They can control Akuma, and they even have their own powers as well."

"But if they are human, then why do they serve the Millennium Earl?"

"No one really knows for sure, but they don't consider themselves as normal humans. Noah are very dangerous and extremely hard to kill, but Allen-dono managed to catch one and destroy his Noah powers."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, while it is admiral that Allen-dono defeated a Noah, the higher ups did not like the thought of a Noah being kept here. However, Allen-dono was livid, and refused to execute him."

"Why?"

"It's against his morals. Allen-dono will never kill a human, only Akuma."

"So what happened after that?"

"While he may have killed the Noah, the higher ups still thought it necessary for Allen-dono to be punished for bringing him here. And so his punishment is to take care of the Noah while he is here."

"Who was the Noah that Allen-sensei brought back?"

"The Noah's name is Tyki. Tyki Mikk."

And here is Chapter 12! I know it's short and I apologize for leaving you guys with a cliffhanger, but at least there is another TykixAllen moment! Hope you enjoyed!

~AnimeGirl124~


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Allen stifled a yawn as the landscape flew past him. The train ride back from London wasn't long, but Allen was starting to feel sleepy. However Allen wasn't surprised that he was tired. Going to London on errands for everyone was exhausting. He was carrying six boxes of stuff, two of them bursting with books for Lavi. And of course, ever since that morning, all Allen could think about was Tyki.

_Why did I blush when our faces were so close?_

_Why is my heart still pounding from that experience?_

_Why am I even thinking about Tyki in this way?_

_What is Tyki to me?_

_What am I to Tyki?_

Allen sighed as he ran his finders through his hair. What was it about the man that made Allen feel different? Was it because he was a Noah, like he was? Or was it something more? Allen shook his head. He was so confused. Maybe Tyki was just a friend?

The boy ended up buying his prisoner a chessboard, even though he had a feeling that he would regret the purchase later. _I'll probably be stuck playing chess with him for the rest of the night, _he thought as he made his way to the Science Department, food and laundry in hand.

Allen did not however, see the little boy following his every step from the shadows.

"Hey Tyki!" called Allen. "I'm here with dinner!" As the teen neared the cell, Allen could see the Ex-Noah was playing a card game with himself. The man grinned as he eyed the chessboard in the boy's hand.

"Well, well, " said Tyki, moving closer to the entrance of the cell. "You did buy the chessboard after all." Allen sighed, trying to calm down himself down.

"Just eat first please. I have news." Tyki ate his meal in silence, grateful that he could finally eat his food without hearing bad news beforehand. "Well," he continued, pushing away his empty bowl. "What do you have to tell me?" But Allen never got to answer, because a small voice from the back of the room interrupted him.

"Tyki." The voice said. Allen froze. _He followed me!_ Slowly, Allen turned to see Eaze staring at him, or rather at the man behind the bars.

"Eaze," asked Allen in a shocked tone, "What are you doing here? Why are you not with everyone else at dinner?"

"Tyki." Eaze repeated, stepping closer. Tyki seemed to be frozen, eyes wide with horror.

"Who?" asked Allen as he got up from is seat. "This guy? No, no, no. This isn't Tyki. This is…um…my friend…Maki." Tyki gave Allen a glare, and Allen was silent.

"No." Said Eaze, walking closer to the two of them. "It's Tyki." The boy stepped closer, looking at the man behind the bars. Tyki's heart froze. "You're a Noah, aren't you Tyki? You work for the Millennium Earl."

"Wait, Eaze," replied Allen, giving up on lying. "How did you find out that I was taking care of him?" Eaze turned to Allen and frowned.

"A Finder told me." Eaze's voice was very quiet, almost a whisper. "Why Tyki? Why are you on that bad guy's side? Why don't you fight with Allen and us? Why did you become our friend, Tyki?" There was a brief but tense silence.

"I became your friend, because I wanted to have a normal life." answered Tyki confidently.

"Liar!" accused Eaze, his eyes narrowing. "You did it to make fun of us didn't you? You didn't care that we loved you! You didn't care that we worried about you all the time! You only wanted to make fun of us! I know about what you used do to! We thought you were good, but you aren't! You hurt and kill everyone! Why?" Eaze was angry, very angry. "Why did you let my friends die?"

"I did not let them die!" defended Tyki as he rose from his seat. "I wasn't there when our friends were killed!"

"Oh, _our_ friends?" said Eaze, voice rising as well. Tyki had never seen Eaze act like this. He didn't like it. "They are not _our_ friends! They are _my_ friends! _It's your fault _that I am alone! It's your fault that I can't sleep at night! It is _your_ fault that my friends are dead!"

"Eaze!" shouted Allen, horrified at what the boy had said to Tyki. "I know that Tyki has done some bad things in the past, but it is _not_ his fault that your friends died! Apologize!"

"No!" cried Eaze. "I will _not_ apologize! He's not my friend! He is just an evil person who doesn't deserve to live!" Eaze pulled out his button collection and hurled the bag at Tyki. The bag hit its mark with a soft thud, before falling to the ground, buttons falling like scattered rain.

"Here!" yelled the child, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't want these anymore! Take these back, now! I never want to see you again! I HATE YOU, TYKI MIKK!" And with that, Eaze ran up the stairs, the sound of the boy's footsteps resonating throughout the floor.

There was only silence for several minutes. What was there to say? Eaze had left Allen speechless. Eaze had a right to be angry, but he should never have said such terrible things to Tyki. Allen just listened to the silence until he could take it no more.

"Tyki?" the boy finally asked. "Tyki? Are you ok?" The only answer he received was silence. As Allen turned around to face Tyki, his heart stopped. Eaze's final statement had completely broken the man. Tyki looked like a hollow shell, unmoving like the dead. A pained expression was etched on his face, his eyes still watching the spot where Eaze was only moments ago.

"Tyki!" shouted Allen, opening the cell. He knew that he was going to be in trouble later, but at that point, the teen did not care. Allen got to Tyki's side not a moment too soon, for in that moment, the Ex- Noah completely and utterly fell apart. Before Allen even knew what was happening, Tyki had buried his face into Allen's chest and was sobbing.

Allen was startled. Even when Tyki had heard about his friends death, the most Tyki had done was cry. He did not break down and start to sob, like he was doing now. Allen shook himself and let the man cry, hugging Tyki's head to his chest.

"You know that it's not your fault that your friends died." He whispered, stroking Tyki's hair. "While Eaze might be going through a difficult time, it was not his place to say that to you."

"Yes, it was his place." sobbed Tyki. "I was working with the Earl, and it was the Earl who did this to Eaze. I am just as responsible for their deaths as he is."

"No, that is not true!" said Allen, hugging Tyki closer. "Tyki, you were imprisoned here when your friends were killed. You could have done nothing to stop the Earl."

"But that does not change the fact that I was working with him!" Tyki could barely control his voice now. "I have done such terrible things, killed so many people, and separated so many families."

"What's been done has been done." Said Allen, as he pulled Tyki's face up to his. "No, we don't have the power to change the past, but we _do_ have the power to change the future. We have the power to prevent anything like this from happening again."

Tyki's sobs were starting to subside. "Join us in our fight," whispered Allen as he wiped away the man's tears. "Fight with us, and help us defeat the Earl, and preventing someone from having to go through this as well." Tyki's crying stopped. "Stay with us, and fight for us."

Tyki looked into Allen's eyes, his heart beginning to calm down. Could he really have a shot at redemption?

"You do not have to answer me right now," continued Allen, releasing the Ex-Noah's face and turning away. "But I would like you to know that you still have that option." Tyki was speechless. _How?_ He wondered. _How can this person, this boy, be so kind to a person like me, who has done nothing but evil deeds since he could remember? Why would he even talk to a person like me? How can he even stand to be around me? How can he be so forgiving?_

Allen sighed and got up from his seat. "I have to go talk to Eaze, but I will visit you again later." Brushing off the dirt from his clothes, the teen silently made his way to the cell door. The hinges creaked slightly as the door swung open, a few flakes of rust falling from the bars. Before Allen could leave however, Tyki's hand found its way around his wrist once more. Allen turned to look at the man, a slight look of confusion crossing his face.

"Thank you, Allen." Whispered Tyki, squeezing the boy's arm slightly. "Thank you, for staying here with me, and being there for me, when no one else wants to be." Allen blushed slightly, before gently pulling his wrist from the Ex-Noah's grasp.

"Your welcome, Tyki." And with that, the teen was gone. Gone to find the little heartbroken boy, whom he was sure would need some comforting as well.

(A/N) And here is Chapter 13! OMG This was SO much harder than I anticipated! I had the basic ideas of this chapter already typed out, but trying to get everything right was a pain! But, I wanted this to be good, so I put a lot of effort into this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!

~AnimeGirl124~

Oh! And by the way, my editor for this story decided to draw fanart for this chapter so check it out! Link is on my profile page, along with the link for the story trailer! (It's sort of a trailer. More like a regular AMV. XDDDDDD)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Eaze!" Called Allen, looking in the boy's room. "Eaze? Eaze are you there?" When there was no reply Allen sighed. He had checked everywhere on the past 5 floors of the building and there was still no sign of the boy. Where could he possibly be? And why was everything starting to fall apart? First, he was acting strange around Tyki, and now, Eaze has found out about the man. What else could go wrong? Suddenly, the teen heard something. A small sniffle.

"Eaze?" Asked Allen again as he tried to locate the sound's origin. Then Allen heard it again, only softer this time. But the sound was loud enough. Allen turned his head to look at a closet across the room. As Allen opened the door, he could see Eaze's quivering form hiding in the corner.

"Get away from me!" shouted Eaze as he recluded even farther into the closet. "I don't want to talk about it right now!"

"I think you do Eaze." Replied Allen who then crawled into the closet with the boy and shut the door behind him. "I think you need to talk about this; I know I would want to if I were in your position."

Eaze shook his head, the dim light glistening off the boy's tears.

"Eaze, come here. Come and talk to me." Slowly, the small child began to relax from his curled ball.

"Why?" Sniffed the boy, tears still flowing down his face. "Why Allen? Why did Tyki choose to be a Noah?" Allen's expression softened as he looked at the child.

"Eaze, there is something you need to know about the Noah: once cannot chose to not become a Noah. It's left up to chance, or maybe even the Millennium Earl himself."

"How do you know that? How do you know that he didn't have a choice?"

Allen sighed as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know Eaze, because I have a Noah living inside of me as well." Eaze froze, his eyes widening in horror.

"Get away from me!" screamed Eaze as he stood up and ran from the closet.

"Wait Eaze!" Cried Allen, grabbing the small child by the arm. "Eaze just hear me out!"

"Help!" Shouted Eaze, trying to tear from Allen's grip. "Someone help me! A Noah has got me! Help!"

"Eaze! Eaze please just listen to me!" Yelled Allen, finally pulling the boy around.

"Look at me Eaze, do I look like I would ever hurt you?" Eaze shook his head.

"No, but Tyki didn't look like a bad person either."

"That's not the point Eaze." Sighed Allen, kneeling down on his leg so he could be face to face with the boy.

"Listen Eaze. I have a Noah called the 14th living within me. Yes, it is a Noah, but it's not a normal Noah. There are only supposed to be 13 Noah, but for some reason, there are 14. Mine is different from the other Noah due to certain events that even I don't know about. I don't know why I have a Noah inside me, but I do know that I did not have a choice in the matter. For all I know, I could have been born with the Noah already inside me. But look at me now Eaze, do I look like I could kill someone?"

Slowly Eaze shook his head once more.

"I don't like having a Noah living inside me, but I can't really do anything about it. All I can do is keep moving forward and never stop believing in the right thing."

"But if you can do that Allen, why can't Tyki?" Asked the boy, looking down at his mentor. "You've never killed anyone before have you Allen? Even though you are a Noah, you've never hurt anyone. Why does Tyki kill then? Why does he hurt people if he is the same as you?"

"Eaze, Tyki once told me that he 'destroys what he loves'."

"But why?"

"If I knew that answer to that Eaze, I would have told you by now." Replied the teen, as he hugged the boy close. "All I can do now for him is try to convince him to change his ways. And while Tyki can't take back what he has already done, he can try to stop making bad decisions in the future."

"Why can you forgive him Allen?" asked Eaze suddenly. "The Finder told me what he did to you, how he hurt you and left you to die. How can you forgive him for that?"

Allen was silent for a moment. "I forgave him, because everyone needs to be forgiven. If we hold all of our hatred and anger towards someone within ourselves, it will only harm us in the end." Allen paused. "Eaze, can you forgive Tyki?" Now it was the boy's turn to be silent. Allen waited patiently as Eaze thought about his question. Slowly, the boy shook his head, and Allen's heart fell.

"I still can't forgive him Allen." Whispered the boy, tears beginning to show once more. "I still can't forgive him for what he has done. I can't forgive him for siding with the Millennium Earl." Allen sighed; maybe it was too soon for him to be asking Eaze such a serious question.

"You will in time Eaze." He muttered softly. "All you need to do, is give him the opportunity to be forgiven."

After another hour, Allen had managed to calm Eaze down enough to return to the room. But he could not erase the things that Eaze had said to Tyki, nor could he erase the feelings the boy had against the man. Eaze would have to learn to trust Tyki by himself. Afterword, Eaze went to his welcome party, while Allen headed for his room.

_I am going to need some new clothes after today,_ thought Allen, looking down at his tear-soaked shirt. Why was everyone coming to him to cry on? He was not that special. But then again, he was the one who got involved with people's problems. Allen yawned, opening his bedroom door. His plain room looked the same as it had when he had first moved into it. Allen had changed rooms when his Innocence synch rate had reached over 100%. His room was now larger than before, and he had a bathroom connected to it. His bed was also larger that it had been in his old room; taking up most of the space in his bedroom. There was a small couch in front of a fireplace as well. Allen walked over to the dresser next to his mirror and opened the window, letting a cool draft of air come into the room. Allen picked out some new clothes, and proceeded to change. Allen looked at his anti-akuma arm in the mirror and smiled sadly. How things had changed from when he first arrived at the Black Order! Allen put on some new clothes, and left for the party. He was wondering what kinds of foods he would order, when the building exploded.

Allen jumped to the side, just in time to see a Level 3 Akuma's head pop through Allen's open window. Almost without thinking Allen activated his Innocence, and stabbed the Akuma in the face. The Akuma shrieked, then ceased to exist.

"Allen!" shouted a voice from behind him. Allen turned to see Lenalee panting in his doorway. "Get down to the Science Department, NOW! They're after Tyki!" Another explosion rumbled through the building, this time hitting Allen's room. Both Exorcists didn't have enough time to jump out of the way before the roof of Allen's room caved in on them.

"Lenalee!" shouted Allen, running over to help unbury his friend.

"You have to hurry!" shouted Lenalee from under the rubble. "Don't worry about me! Just get down to the Science Department! We don't know how long it is going to be until they reach Tyki!"

"But-"

"No buts! Just hurry!" Allen gritted his teeth, hating the idea of leaving the girl trapped under the rubble.

"Fine! I'll come back for you as soon as I can!" And with that, he ran outside into the hallway. As soon as he left his room however, he stopped dead, eyes wide with horror. The entire center of the building was flooded with Akuma. It was far worse than when the Akuma had first invaded with Lulubell. On his floor alone, there must have been well over one hundred, not including the ones who were making their way down to the Science Department. All around him, Allen saw Exorcists and Akuma fighting one another. He spotted Eaze fighting a Level 2 Akuma and tried to make his way towards him, but the roof above them fell again, and Eaze and the Akuma were lost from sight._ He will be fine_, Allen told himself, trying to ignore the fact that Eaze had yet to actually use his Innocence. _He has a 30% synch rate. He will make it._

"Crown Clown!" Shouted Allen, stabbing through some Level 1 Akuma. Allen didn't even wait for them to explode. He just ran right past them, aiming for the hole that lead to the Science Department in the middle of the building. Riding the elevator was out of the question, considering that the Akuma had already destroyed it. He would just have to go the long way. Allen looked over his shoulder just in time to see Lavi and Kanda come crashing trough the wall.

"Allen!" shouted Lavi, waving his arms around. "We're over here!"

"Lavi, Kanda, Lenalee needs your help. She got trapped under some rubble when my room caved in!"

"Che. Get her yourself, Moyashi!" sneered Kanda. Lavi hit him over the head.

"We'll go free her! Just get downstairs!"

"I know!" called Allen, jumping on to the railing lining the circular room.

"Wait! Allen! Are you really-" stammered Lavi, but Allen had already jumped over the railing and was falling down to the Science Department. "Hey!" Shouted Lavi. "Next time take the stairs! If you die, we're pretty much screwed in this war!"

Tyki sighed as he leaned against the frame of his bed, his face now covered with dry tears. What was he going to do now? Eaze had found out about him being at the Black Order, and what's more openly declared that he hated him with every fiber of his being. Tyki still loved Eaze. He could never hate the boy, but his words still stung. He couldn't stand to be hated by his only human friend. Tyki stopped, remembering how Allen had comforted him after the fight.

_I guess I have more than one human friend now_, thought Tyki as he rubbed his eyes and pulled out a cigarette. In a few moments the smell of tobacco and smoke filled the air. What was it about the boy that interested him so? It had originally been the boy's Innocence power, but now, things were different. He was different. Was it the boy's looks that interested him? Was it his kind personality? Tyki didn't have an answer. All he knew was that his feelings for the boy had changed since the Ark. Tyki smirked as he remembered the boy's reaction to him earlier that day. He had a feeling that Allen's feelings for him had changed for him too; he just wouldn't admit it. But Tyki wasn't so proud to entertain the idea that the feelings he had for the boy might be-

"BOOM!" Suddenly, the wall next to his cell exploded in a shower of rubble. Tyki jumped from his bed, looking at the hole that had been created by the attacker. A Level 3 Akuma's head peeped through the hole and looked straight at Tyki. Tyki froze. _So he did come for me after all_. The Akuma shrieked in delight as it saw Tyki's face.

"Noah-sama!" It cried. "You were here after all!" The Akuma looked over his shoulder. "Oi! I have found him! I have found Tyki-sama!" Tyki moved towards the bars of his cell and looked past the Akuma. What he saw seemed to make his heart freeze. Behind the Akuma lay what was left of the Science Department. Corpses covered the ground, and he could hear screaming in the distance. Tyki blinked, and saw the vampire Exorcist fighting off some other Akuma. He spotted a few other moving people, including Eaze.

"Eaze!" Tyki cried, trying to get out of his cell. "Get out of here! It is not safe for you!" Eaze looked over his shoulder to see Tyki trying to free himself from his cell.

"Shut up!" shouted the boy, dodging the Akuma's attack. "I don't want to listen to you!"

"Eaze!" Tyki shouted again, ignoring Eaze's comment. "Please! Get out of here! I beg you! Run!"

"Free Tyki-sama!" shouted the Akuma in front of Tyki to it's friends. The Akuma turned its attention back to Tyki. "Road-sama will be so pleased to hear that we have found you!"

"Wait!" shouted Tyki, drawing his gaze away from Eaze. "Is Road here with you?"

"Oh of course not Tyki-sama!" said the Akuma. "Road-sama only sent us here to get you back! She figured that she did not have to come with us because you would be here! She apologizes for not coming sooner though. Now!" the Akuma turned its hand towards Tyki. "I will let you out!" And fired an attack. Tyki barely had enough time to jump out of the way before the front of his cage exploded.

_What was I thinking?_ Thought Allen, falling down the hole. _I should have just taken the stairway! No! I need to get down there as soon as I can! If Tyki is freed, it could spell the end for the Black Order! I've got to hurry!_

Fortunately, Allen landed right on top of Eaze's Level 2 Akuma, just as the machine was combusting, and providing the teen with a cushioned landing.

"Eaze!" shouted Allen, brushing himself off. "What are you doing here?"

"Fighting!" replied the boy. "Just like you! Anyway, don't pay any attention to me! Stop_ him_ from getting out!" Allen noticed how Eaze spat the word _him_, and sighed. It seemed he still had not gotten over what had happened earlier. Then suddenly, there was another loud bang. Allen swiveled around and his heart froze. Tyki was out of his cell.

Tyki stepped out from the rubble, not believing his eyes. He was free. _He was free_. HE WAS FREE!

"NO!" shouted a voice from behind the Akuma. Tyki looked to see Allen, looking angrier than he had ever seen the boy. "Don't you dare let him go free!"

"Well that is just too bad, boy!" shouted the Akuma. "He already is!" The Level 3 Akuma held out his hand. "Come with us, Tyki-sama."

"No Tyki!" shouted Allen, trying to get past the hordes of Akuma that were now flooding the room. However, he did not get far before another Akuma caught him. "Don't go with them! Stay with us! Look at what the Earl has done to us! Look at what he has done to you! Look at what he has done to Eaze! Please! Stay here! We need your help! You have the power! Fight with us!"

"'You have the power?'" The Akuma laughed. "Tyki-sama's powers are used for the destruction of your kind! Not to help you! Now come with us, Tyki-sama, and defeat these stupid humans!" Tyki looked like he was being tormented. _What should I do? Who should I choose?_

"Don't go Tyki!" came a new voice. Tyki face turned to shock as he saw Eaze coming up from behind Allen. Tyki could not believe his ears, nor could Allen. If Eaze hated Tyki so much, why was he calling out to him?

"Don't leave Tyki! If you do, I'll never be able to forgive you!" Screamed the boy.

"Tyki!" shouted Allen again. Tyki looked over at Allen once more before turning away. Slowly, Tyki's began to walk towards the Akuma.

Allen was frozen._ No, no, NO! Don't go that way!_ "TYKI!" he cried one more. Tyki's hand clenched into a fists.

"I'm sorry, everyone." He whispered. _NO! TYKI!_ Allen was on the verge of tears. _Please! Don't go!_ Tyki looked over at Allen one last time, then said two words that Allen never thought he would hear come from the Ex-Noah's mouth. "INNOCENCE, ACTIVATE!"

A white light enveloped Tyki. Allen, Eaze, and even the Akuma, had to shield their eyes from the light in order to not go blind. When the light died down, Allen could only stare in wonder. On Tyki's hand were the same white gloves he had seen when Tyki has synchronized with the Innocence so long ago. The Black butterflies on the gloves seemed to stand out in contrast to the white gloves. Tyki jumped into the air, landing right next to the Akuma.

"WHAT!" shouted the machine. "You are a accomi-" but the Level 3 never got to finish his sentence, for at that moment, Tyki's hand slipped inside the Akuma's body. The Akuma froze.

"I am sorry, but will you remaining Akuma tell Road that I have no intention of going back?" Tyki's voice sounded level, but Allen could feel the emotion in Tyki's voice. "Tell her, that being here, my eyes have finally been opened, to the true nature, of the Earl?"

"But Tyki-sama!" said another Akuma. "Why do you want-"

"Cleanse!" shouted Tyki. Allen activated his left eye. A while light had appeared inside the Level 3 Akuma's body. The white light grew, until it enveloped everything inside the Akuma. The Level 3 Akuma shrieked in pain, then combusted into a thousand pieces. Tyki turned to face the rest of the Akuma. "GO!" he shouted. "Before I Cleanse every last one of you!" The Akuma hesitated, not sure of what to do.

"Fine," said Tyki, looking over the hundreds of Akuma faces. Tyki raised his arm again. "Mass Cleanse!" he shouted. The Akuma didn't even know what hit them. In less than a second, every last Akuma had a bright light coming from within them. They didn't even have time to shriek before every human soul was free from its prison. _He's strong!_ Thought Allen. Tyki looked across the now almost empty room, satisfied with his work. He glanced over to a corner and saw one last Level 2 Akuma trying to hide behind a pile of rock.

"Will _you_ carry my message to Road?" asked Tyki. The Akuma nodded. "Then go." The Akuma did not need to be told twice after seeing its comrades die. It flew out the side of the building as fast as it could. Tyki glanced over his shoulder at Allen and smirked. Suddenly, Tyki fell to the ground.

"Tyki!" cried Allen, running over to the Ex-Noah, Tyki saw Allen catch him and he grinned. Then, the world went black, and Tyki slipped into darkness.

(A/N) Ok here is Chapter 14! Man did I add a lot to this chapter! Originally it was just going to be the fight scene, but I decided to add the scene with Eaze and Tyki's thoughts. It made the chapter twice as long. Hope you like it!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Tyki awoke to the sound of a distant voice in his head. _Where am I? _He wondered, eyes still closed. Then the voice came again, and he realized that it was calling his name. Tyki tried to get up, but fell back on the bed as soon as he did. He was exhausted! Every bone and muscle in his body seemed to ache. Slowly, Tyki tried to close his hand, but could only do so partly. His body wasn't achy-it was stiff! That was it! His body felt like it hadn't been used in a long time!_ What happened to me?_ Then the memories flooded his mind, and the man groaned.

"Tyki?" asked the voice. It was then that he realized the voice wasn't in his head; it was coming from a person. Tyki cracked open an eyelid to see someone perched by his bedside. _Wait, why am I in a bed?_ As his eye came into focus, Tyki recognized the figure as Allen.

"Tyki!" breathed Allen, relief seeming to flood through the boy. "Thank God you are awake! I was so worried!" Tyki looked up to see the boy smiling down on him.

"Where am I?" groaned the man, trying to sit up once more.

"Don't get up yet." Said Allen, placing a hand on the man's shoulder and gently pushing him down. "You haven't moved in five days. Your muscles are stiff and not used to the movement. As for your question, we are in the infirmary, or rather, in a private room in the infirmary."

"Why private?" questioned Tyki, noticing how Allen removed his hand quickly from his arm. Allen looked away.

"The other patients would not feel very safe if they knew that they were sitting next to a Noah."

Suddenly, a key memory kicked into Tyki's mind. "Allen," Tyki almost seemed to shout, forgetting Allen's advice. Tyki winced as he tried to ignore the outcry from his muscles. "What happened afterwards? What happened to the Innocence?"

"Calm down." The teen remained silent as he took hold of Tyki's left hand and brought it up to his face. "It's right here." Tyki tilted his head to the side. On his middle finger rested a small silver ring. The ring looked very simple at first glance, but as he looked at it longer, Tyki could see a small gold butterfly engraved into the metal.

"This is what it looks like when it's deactivated," explained Allen, releasing Tyki's hand. "You already know what it looks like released, so-"

"Tyki Mikk," came a sharp voice from across the room. Allen and Tyki turned to see none other than Howard Link standing in the doorway.

"Link! What are you-?"

"Silence, Allen Walker." snapped Link, cutting off Allen's question. "I am here to speak with Tyki Mikk, not with you."

"What is it that you need?" asked Tyki politely.

"During the incident five days ago, you decided to stay and fight on our side correct?" Link raised his eyebrow, and Tyki nodded. "Because you have done so, the higher ups have decided to end your imprisonment." Tyki looked over at Allen to see if Link was telling the truth. Allen, seeming to read Tyki's mind, nodded. Tyki's face broke out into a grin. "However!" Interrupted Link. "You will still be under constant watch by Allen Walker. While you may have switched sides, Allen Walker has not served out his full punishment for bringing a Noah into our facilities." And with that, Link departed, slamming the door shut behind him. For a few moments there was only silence.

"What is wrong with that guy?" remarked Tyki as he nodded in the door's direction.

"Don't worry about him. He always acts like that. But anyway, how does it feel? To finally be a free man?"

Tyki thought about it for a moment and rubbed his arm. "It's painful." Allen laughed.

"You'll get used to it." Seeing the teen smile warmed the man's heart. Almost without thinking, Tyki gently placed his hand on Allen's, cutting off the boy's chuckle.

"Thank you." Said Tyki quietly, squeezing the boy's hand. "Thank you for helping me make my decision, and believing that I could change." Tyki looked down. "I know that I will never be able to erase the sins that I have committed, but I still want to try to help the future." Allen was momentarily stunned. He had not expected to be thanked. Looking embarrassed, Allen gently removed his hand from Tyki's.

"Your welcome then I guess." Just then, Eaze entered the room. The boy was leaning on a small wooden crutch; a large bandage wrapped around his right foot.

"Eaze!" shouted Tyki, looking alarmed. "What happened to you?" Eaze grinned sheepishly.

"My leg got caught under a piece of rubble. But don't worry, it's only a sprain." Eaze's face suddenly turned serious. Tyki stayed where he was, not moving a muscle. "I came to say I'm sorry for what I said to you, and to ask if you will forgive me. After seeing you fight off the Akuma and protecting Allen, I felt that it was the least I could do." Eaze looked up. "And if it is possible, I would still like to be your friend."

Tyki looked at the boy in utter shock. After his mind processed what Eaze had said, he heart soared. "Yes," smiled Tyki. "I would like that very much."

Eaze looked down at the floor, as a hint of a smile crossing his face. "Thank you." And without another word, Eaze left, limp still audible from behind the door.

"Well," said Allen as he got up. "The nurse said that you will be able to walk around by tomorrow morning, which is good because my friends and I have scheduled a trip to the World Fair tomorrow afternoon. We will be taking a train to London at 11:00 am, and will be coming back around 1 in the morning."

"Why so late?"

"Because tomorrow is New Year's Eve and we want to see the fireworks. Just be ready to leave by ten and we'll be fine."

"Wait, I am going with you?"

Allen looked up at the ceiling, pretending to think about something. "Well, I still am in charge of you, so I guess you have no choice but to come, because I have no intention on canceling. I haven't had a day off in months!" Tyki looked down.

"I don't think I will be welcome." He muttered.

"Don't worry. I have already told Lavi and Lenalee, and they said that they are fine with it." Replied the teen, sensing Tyki's stress.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Eaze had a redo for his welcome party while you were asleep so I have to help clean up. And after that I have to clean up after the Akuma attack. There is still some rubble that needs to be cleared." Allen headed for the door. "Oh, also I will be giving you a grand tour the building at nine, so be sure to be up by then. Don't forget to bring all your stuff with you."

"Why?" Allen looked over his shoulder and smiled one more time.

"Because you get your room tomorrow!" And with that, the teen was gone.

(A/N) And here is Chapter 15! I am SO sorry that this isn't as good as the last chapter! I have finals this week so I didn't have time to really look at this and send it to my editor! I only got 3 hours of sleep last night because I was up working on my final! I am so sorry! I will post a replacement for this chapter as soon as I can! (It will be the same idea but with a few line changes). Anyway, I hope that you still like it! Read and review please!

~AnimeGirl124~


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tyki woke to the sound of someone banging on his room door. At first he had thought he was dreaming, but the sound persisted. Irritated, Tyki opened an eye to look over at the wall. The clock said it was seven in the morning.

"Tyki!" Came Allen's voice from the other side of the door. "Tyki! Time to wake up! We have stuff to do!"

"Allen!" moaned Tyki as he covered his head with his pillow. "Why the heck are you awake at seven in the morning? I thought the tour was at eight!"

"Yes, but you have to have breakfast!" reminded the teen's voice. "Come on and get changed!" Tyki paused at the sound of Allen's voice. It seemed...livelier than before. If Tyki didn't know better, he would have thought the boy was very excited about his first day off.

Twenty minutes later, Allen and Tyki were in the dinning hall. Tyki looked around, amazed at its sheer size. The room was easily 100 meters across. All around the room were wooden tables; a few groups of early-risers already perched on their seats. The ceiling of the room was amazingly high. The whole room smelt of bacon and eggs, making Tyki's mouth water. He realized he hadn't eaten in five days, at least according to Allen. Oddly enough however, the room was as quiet as a library.

"Jerry!" called Allen, walking over to the counter across the room. Tyki looked over to see a muscular man in sunglasses and two long ponytails looking at Allen from across the counter. The man wore a sleeveless shirt with some Japanese writing on the back of it.

"Allen!" shouted the man ecstatically, looking extremely happy to see the boy. "How are you? And more importantly, what can I make for you this fine morning?"

"I would like twenty scones, ten eggs, thirty pieces of bacon, ten pieces of bread, a large bowl of fruit salad, several helpings of hash browns, and a liter of juice please!" said Allen, his stomach growling.

"Excellent!" said Jerry, hustling to the back of the kitchen. "Oh, and also!" Jerry looked across the room to see an uncomfortable looking Tyki. "You sir, Mr. Mikk is it? What would you like to eat?"

What little conversation there was in the Dinning Hall suddenly died, all heads swiveling to look at the Ex-Noah. Tyki was silent. "Just get him some eggs and bacon please!" Replied Allen, taking the liberty of ordering for him.

"Wonderful!" said Jerry. "Come back in five minutes!"

"Thank you!" Allen walked back over to Tyki and smiled. "Come on. Lets get a seat." The two ended up sitting on the other side of the dinning hall. Apparently, none of the Finders or Exorcists wanted to sit anywhere near the Ex-Noah.

"Allen! " Called a voice from the other side of the room. Allen looked up to see Lavi and Lenalee waving over at him, food in hand.

"Good morning!" Allen called back. "Come sit over here with us!" Tyki noticed how the two seemed to pause for a moment, before smiling and accepting the invitation. The man said nothing and looked down at the table.

"So Allen," started Lavi, plopping down next to the white-haired Exorcist. "Are you ready for our first day off?"

"Of course he is!" answered Lenalee, sitting down across from the two. "We've not had a day off in a while! We should just be lucky that nii-san agreed to let us go. He threw a huge fit about us missing New Year's Eve." Lenalee looked over at Tyki, who seemed like he wanted nothing more than to melt into the floor. "And good morning to you too, Tyki." She said, smiling. Tyki looked up slightly and gave her a small smile.

"Talk about an elephant in the room." muttered Lavi to Allen.

"Allen!" called Jerry. "Your food is ready!"

"Coming!" said Allen, getting up from his seat. "Tyki just stay here! I'll be back in a second!" said Allen. Tyki just nodded.

This was just too strange. Sitting among the very people he had once sought to kill was very uncomfortable. Looking around the room, Tyki noticed that most of the people seated were Finders, with the lone exception of one other Exorcist. Most were giving him dirty looks, and a few were whispering about him. Tyki didn't make eye contact with any of them, only looking at the table. Maybe he had made the wrong choice? No, he had to stay here. After what the Earl had done to him, he could not just return. Not after the massacre. The man sighed. He could tell it was going to take some time for everyone to get used to him. Heck, it was going to take him awhile to get used to the idea of switching sides as well!

True to his word, Allen was back with the food in less that a minute. Tyki stared at the mountain of food in utter amazement. _Can Allen really eat all of that?_

"Yes, he can." whispered Lavi in the man's ear, leaning over to answer the unspoken question in Tyki's head.

"Here's your food Tyki," signaled the boy, passing Tyki a plate of eggs and bacon. "Don't let them get cold!"

Tyki didn't even have time to process what Allen said before the boy's mountain of food was gone. Tyki looked over to see Allen wiping his mouth off with a napkin. "Man that was good!" he said, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach. Allen turned to see Tyki staring at him. "What?"

"In case you are wondering, Allen always eats like that." commented Lenalee, buttering a slice of toast.

"You don't say." muttered Tyki, still trying to get over the amount of food the boy just ate. _Note to self: __**Never**__ take Allen out to dinner!_

"Yeah. I once challenged Allen to an eating contest." Said Lavi. "But I obviously lost within the first few seconds!"

Lenalee and Lavi continued talking on the subject while Tyki looked around at them and sighed. They reminded him so much of his human friends. "Allen, is Eaze going to be coming with us?" Tyki asked in a hushed tone.

"He would, but since coming to the Order, Eaze has met some new people. Considering that Timothy and him are close in age, they are becoming great friends. I thought it would be good for him to get a way form me for a few days and spend some time with Timothy." Allen whispered back. Allen himself was a little surprised at his own decision. He hadn't expected Eaze to be making friends so soon. However, it was his job to see that Eaze would begin to live a normal life again.

"Oh."

"Don't worry. We'll see him in a few days." smiled Allen, trying to cheer Tyki up. Tyki nodded.

"Also, why are your friends being so nice to me? I would have thought that they wouldn't want to have anything to do with me."

"I told you yesterday," said Allen, looking at the Ex-Noah. "Because you fought with us five days ago, they are beginning to trust you more. It may not be easy, but they said that they are willing to try and be your friend." Tyki felt touched that Allen's friends would be willing to do such a thing. The tension that Tyki had been feeling automatically went down after hearing what Allen had to say. Somehow, Tyki found the stomach to eat after that.

"Well," said Lavi, polishing off his scrambled eggs. "Lenalee and I are going to get ready for the day. We will meet you at nine at the exit of the Order. Do you think you guys can make it by then?"

"I think so, but I still have to give Tyki the tour and show him to his room."

"Ok, we will see you in a bit I guess!" said Lenalee.

"Bye Allen! Bye Tyki!" said Lavi, walking towards the entrance. He gave them one last wave before he and Lenalee disappeared from sight.

"Ok, so this is the library, where you can check out any book you want for as long as you want." Said Allen, his arms gesturing around the room.

It was a half an hour later, and Tyki was starting to get bored with the tour. Everything looked the same to him. So far, they had visited the cafeteria, the kitchen, the lounge, the Science Department, and Komui's office. The one thing that Tyki really noticed was the sheer size of every room. The whole building was enormous, and so were the rooms inside it. Most of the ceilings were at least 50 feet in the air. All the rooms had chandeliers, the lone exception being the bathrooms. But even then, the bathrooms still had tiled floors and beautiful paintings hanging from the walls. Tyki could not grasp why anyone would want to look at a picture when in the bathroom though. The same was undoubtedly for the shower rooms. The bathtubs were the size of small pools, and the showers could easily fit ten people. Everything was made of marble, and the sinks had gold inlayed into the faucet handles. Tyki was very impressed.

"Ok, and last but not least, we're going to your room," continued Allen, pulling Tyki from his thoughts. "It is on the same floor as my room, but that's only because I have to keep watch over you. Normally, you would be on the 12th floor with all of the other Exorcists."

Allen opened the door in front of him, and Tyki's jaw went slack. The room was about the size of a large living room. There was a stone fireplace set into the side of a wall with a couch. A small wooden table with an ashtray sat in front of the fireplace. A large king-sized canopy bed with purple sheets sat on the other side of the room, next to a window with a view of the Black Order grounds. A large walk-in dresser stood next to a large full-body mirror. Next to it was a black wood coat stand. A few paintings hung on the wall, and Tyki could see that there was a bathroom also attached to the room. Inside the bathroom was a large claw-foot tub, which in turn was flanked by an enormous marble shower. The counters were also lined with marble, and the handles of the sink's faucet were set in silver. Along the wall was another full-body mirror with a towel cabinet next to it. Tyki stood in the doorway of his new room in awe. Even his room with the Earl was not as nice as this!

"Normally, your room would not be as nice as this, but because you have to be next to me at all times, the higher ups decided to give you a room closer to mine." Allen commented, patting Tyki on the shoulder.

"Wait, so your room is like this too?" asked the man.

"Yeah. My first room was a lot smaller than this, but I moved when my synch rate went up past 100 percent. Your room would have only had a twin bed, a small dresser, and possibly a mirror if you didn't have to be under constant watch." Tyki nodded, somewhat glad he would be under Allen's constant care for a while. He could get used to this.

"Your stuff is over there, so you can unpack when we get back from the fair." Said Allen, pointing over to a corner in the room. Apparently, the Order had thought to buy a few extra clothes for the man. "Now, I believe it is almost time to go. You have just enough time to take a shower and grab some clothes for the trip. I'm just down the hallway and will come for you in a half an hour."

"Sure," said Tyki, not looking away from his room. "I will be ready."

"Good! See you in a little bit!" And with that, Allen disappeared.

Tyki let the hot water of the shower run over his body. How long had it been since he last took a shower? He couldn't remember. Tyki's thoughts wandered back to Allen. What an interesting person the boy was. Tyki could remember when he first met Allen on the train with his friends. Allen had stood out because of his white hair, and Tyki remembered that he had thought it suited the boy. Tyki closed his eyes, a small smile settling upon his face. How wonderful the warm water felt against his body. Tyki got out a few minutes later and dried himself off with one of the towels in the towel cabinet. It felt good to be clean! As the man looked over to the clock in his room he cursed. Allen would be there soon. He quickly changed into a new tuxedo and tied his hair up with a nice red ribbon. Grabbing a spare outfit, he sat on the couch waited for the boy to arrive.

True to his word, Allen returned for Tyki at exactly nine. Allen seemed to have also taken a shower, and the water from his hair dripped onto his new clothes. The boy was wearing a clean white shirt with a light gray vest over it. His pants were a darker shade of gray, and he was wearing black leather shoes. The boy topped the look off with a small red ribbon tied around his neck. IN his hand was a small leather suitcase, bound together with a buckle. Allen folded his arms across his chest.

"Do you _ever_ wear anything else other than a tuxedo?"

"What is wrong with wearing a tuxedo?" asked Tyki, raising an eyebrow to the comment.

"Nothing, but you always seem to be wearing one." Noted Allen, sitting down next to the man. Tyki grinned sheepishly.

"I just find Tuxedo's very comfortable. Not to mention that's all there was in the closet. Plus, when I was in my white form, I'd wear tattered clothes all the time!"

"Hmm, well it would not hurt for you to change your wardrobe every now and again. Remind us to buy you some new clothing while we are out."

"But I thought we are going to a fair." Said Tyki, looking over at the teen.

"We are," replied Allen, getting up from his seat. "But there are going to be shops as well. Now, are you ready to go?" Allen held out his hand towards Tyki. Tyki smiled and grabbed hold of Allen's outstretched hand. "Ready as I can be."

"Then, off to Dublin!"

(A/N) Ok! Here is Chapter 16! I know that nothing interesting is happening in this chapter, but every chapter can't be action or drama packed. There have to be slow times too! Again, I am sorry this isn't my best work, but my editor for some reason won't reply to the emails I've been sending her. The next chapter might also have this problem, but there is a scene in there that I hope you will all like. *evil grin* Anyway, enjoy! Please read and review!

~AnimeGirl124~

Oh! And next weeks chapter may be a _little_ late because I might not be where there is Internet connection, but I will try my best to get it up on time! Come hell or high water!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

A half an hour later, Allen, Tyki, Lavi, and Lenalee were on a train to Holyland. The train ride was long yet smooth, and Tyki seemed to be enjoying himself. After all, it was a beautiful day outside, despite the snow of course. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, without so much as even the faintest outline of a cloud. They arrived at the platform about four hours later. Tyki stepped off the train and breathed in the cool air. It felt good to finally be outside again. He hadn't seen the sky in months!

"This way Tyki!" directed Allen, pulling Tyki from his thoughts. Tyki turned to see Allen, Lavi, and Lenalee waving at him from off the platform. Tyki smiled and jogged over to them.

"You've been to Holyland before right Tyki?" inquired Lavi, a large grin plastered on his face. Tyki looked very unimpressed.

"No, but there's a first time for everything."

"Alright." Lavi announced, clapping his hands together. "We have exactly two hours before our boat leaves for Dublin, so I would suggest that we all get something to eat in the mean time. Any suggestions?"

"I would like to go out for Italian if they have it here." replied Lenalee, looking at her watch. "I think there is a restaurant a few blocks from here, so it should only take us a few minutes to get over there and order something. I hope you brought money Allen because we can only cover so much food." Lavi chuckled.

"Don't worry, I have money."

Forty-five minutes later, the group was sitting at a large table enjoying a meal. Tyki had ordered some pasta while Allen had ordered one of everything from the menu. The waitress seemed surprised to hear the outlandish request, but kept her mouth shut and said nothing. As long at the boy had money to pay for the food, he could order whatever he liked.

It _had_ been a funny sight however, when she had come out with all of the food. She had to make several trips to the kitchen before all forty plates of food were sitting in neat rows in front of Allen. It was all Lavi could do to stop himself from rolling on the floor laughing as the girl tried to balance a tray on her head.

Lenalee however took pity on the girl and help her carry out the last fifteen dishes. After everything was in place, the group dug into their food, the smell of lasagna and pizza filling the air. After the meal, Allen made sure to leave a large tip to the girl for all the trouble he had caused her. Then, it was off the docks.

"Allen, I'm surprised you didn't go help the poor girl carry out your dishes." scolded Lenalee as she boarded the boat. "A gentleman like you would have helped her in a second!"

"Sorry! I was afraid that I wouldn't leave the kitchen if I went back there. The food smelt heavenly!"

"Allen would have eaten the restaurant out of business if he had gone to the kitchen!" laughed Lavi, before being whacked over the head by Lenalee.

"_You_ should have helped out too, instead of sitting there and grinning like an idiot."

"Sorry." said the read-head, rubbing his sore head. Lenalee just gave him a look before sighing.

"Just think next time alright?" Lavi just looked over at her and smiled, causing a small tint of pink to cross the girl's face.

The boat ride over the water was only a few hours long, but it was still pretty boring. There was nothing but seawater as far as the eye could see. The only thing exiting that happened on the trip were the dolphins. Lenalee was the first to spot a pod of dolphins, which seemed to play along the back of the boat. They soon migrated to the front of the ship, clicking and frolicking in the waves. The pod disappeared after a half an hour, but its brief appearance lessened the boredom immensely.

All throughout the boat ride, Tyki was entranced in deep thought. He reflected once again on his recent decision. Sure, he was part of the Order now, but everyone was still giving him the cold shoulder. If it hadn't been for Allen, Tyki was convinced the other Finders and Exorcists would have murdered him by now. Tyki sighed. He shouldn't be shocked. After all, how many of their friends had he killed? Even Eaze had blamed him for the death of Crack and Momo.

Remembering the two friends, Tyki's heart began to ache. How he missed his companions! He recalled when he had first met them in a pub after a job from the Earl. Crack was as drunk as a monkey and Momo was trying to get him out of the building before he passed out. No sooner had they left a band of bandits had attacked them, angry and drunk as well. It was Tyki who had helped fight off the scum, and helped Crack and Momo to their feet. He had helped them back to the hotel that they were staying at, wondering why he had done such a thing. It wasn't until after Crack and Momo woke up to thank him that Tyki found out about the coal mine where they worked.

Being grateful to the stranger who had helped them, the two men had invited Tyki to join them at the mine. Tyki really had nothing better to do to pass the time between the Earl's jobs, so he accepted the invitation. And thus began the three men's friendship. It wasn't until two years later that they had come across Eaze.

Eaze was found in a garbage can close to the coalmine. He was dirty and smelt horribly when they found him. Apparently, the boy's parents had died in a fire a year ago and he was trying to get by on his own. He was so skinny Tyki thought the boy would have died within the week. Crack and Momo had taken the boy in, and that was that. From then on, nothing could separate the four from each other.

Tyki smiled faintly at the memories. How he had wished it could've stayed that way! Living two lives was rough, but it had its benefits. He had never imagined that one day the two lives would clash so fiercely.

Slowly Tyki pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and set it alight. His thoughts then turned to his other family, the Noah family.

The Earl himself had saved him from the brink of death several hundred years ago. Dying from influenza, Tyki had thought his life was over. After all, there was no known cure for the illness. The Earl had saved him from that, saved him from the fear of dying, and revealed to him the true secrets of his nature: That he was a Noah; that he had the power to destroy Innocence and that his older brother was the same as him.

Tyki pledged himself and his brother to be the Earl's tool for as long as he lived. What was he going to do if he had to fight his family? Sure they were his enemy now, but Tyki wasn't so sure that he could bring himself to harm Road if ordered to.

Road was precious to him, as were the other Noahs, a fact he was loathe to admit. He couldn't help but have feelings for them as well, what after spending over a century with them. His brother Cyril was a Noah. Did he have what it takes to kill his own brother? Closing his eyes Tyki inhaled deeply, the smoke from the cigarette filling his lungs. Smoking was a comfort to the man. It calmed him down at times like this. It wasn't until then that Tyki realized the boat was finally pulling into the dock.

"Man, that boat ride was _long!_' yawned Lavi as he raised his arms to stretch. "I thought we'd never get here!"

"Well, we did so just be thankful for that." said Lenalee, rubbing her eye. "So, it's about dinner time right now, anyone want to get something to eat before we go to the hotel?"

"I do, but I don't know if I count since I'm always hungry." replied Allen as he looked in Tyki's direction. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Um, sure I guess." said Tyki, caught off guard by the question. He hadn't expected anyone to ask his opinion. " I wouldn't mind grabbing some food."

"Perfect!" smiled Lavi. "Ok, I have no idea where we can get food, but there's bound to be something around here."

"Let's go check that restaurant over there." Allen then pointed toward a small building. "I can smell food coming from the door!" And once again, the group went out to order food. Allen ended up ordering six pots of fish stew along with three loafs of bread for dinner, while his friends simply ordered some baked potatoes and a large fish. Afterwards, the four silently made their way to their hotel, stomachs full of a delicious meal.

"Alright, Lenalee and I had to reserve three rooms for us, since there were only two single-bed one double-bed rooms available." Said Lavi after they checked in. "I will be in room 36. Lenalee, you will be in room 34, and Allen and Tyki will be across the hall in room 35."

"What?" Asked Allen, sounding shocked at the room arrangements. "Why do I have to share a room with Tyki?"

"Two reasons." Replied Lavi. "One: You and Tyki have to stick with each other due to your punishment Allen,"

"But-"

"And two, Komui won't let Lenalee share a room with another boy. He nearly fainted when we told him we would be staying in the same hotel!"

"But couldn't we have just stayed at another hotel where there was more room?"

"Allen, this _was_ the hotel with the most room. Every other inn and hotel is full! Sorry Allen, but you and Tyki are just going to have to stay in the same room for the next few days." Allen sighed, knowing it would be useless to argue farther.

"Let's just go to our rooms."

_At least it has separate beds_, thought Allen as he looked around the room. The room was very small, only sporting two beds, a dresser, and a mirror. To the right was a small bathroom, complete with toilet and shower.

"Well this is cozy isn't it?" commented Tyki, laying down on one of the beds. "Nothing like the rooms at the Order, but at least they have the essentials."

"Yeah. I guess it works." The room was silent for a good five minutes before Tyki spoke.

"It's already ten o-'clock, so I'm going to go to bed. We have to be up early to go to the fair right? Well I plan on being well-rested for tomorrows activities." Getting up, Tyki walked over to his own suitcase. Quietly, Tyki began to undress, starting with his jacket then moving on to his shirt.

"Wait!" shouted Allen, jumping back from the man, a light blush apparent on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" yawned Tyki, still unbuttoning his shirt. "I'm getting ready for bed. I don't know about you, but I don't want to sleep in my day clothes. Besides we're both-."

"S-still." Interrupted Allen, turning around to face the opposite wall. "You could at least have the decency change in the bathroom." Tyki stopped, looking over at the boy. While Allen was faced the other direction, he could still see a slight shading of pink covering the boy's face. An evil grin crossed Tyki's face. _Time for some fun_. Wordlessly, Tyki made his way over to Allen's side of the room, stopping right behind the white-haired teen.

"Hey," said Tyki, breathing down Allen's neck and caressing the boy's hip with one hand. "Could it be that you're embarrassed to see me undressed?" Allen stiffened before jerking away and twirling to face the man.

"I-I'm not embarrassed!" Allen stuttered, his face now completely red. Allen's heart was racing. Just seeing Tyki with his shirt partly unbuttoned was making him feel uncomfortable. _Gosh dang it it was happening again!_

"Oh? Then why are you not looking at me directly?" Tyki's face was now down to Allen's level, and he could feel the man's breath hitting his face. He smelled like tobacco.

"I-It's none of your business!" shouted Allen, finally breaking free of the man's spell. "I'm going to bed, so goodnight!" And without another word, Allen plopped himself on his bed and pulled the covers over his body, ignoring the fact that he was still fully clothed. He could get changed later. Pulling the blankets over his head Allen could hear Tyki laugh at him from behind his back.

"Very well." said the man, removing his shirt all together and leaving only his pants on before getting in bed. "Good night Allen."

(A/N) And here is chapter 17! Man! I can't believe I'm this far into the story already! I am SO sorry that this chapter is a little later than the other ones (I accidentally slept in for once in my life), but I hope that TykixAllen moment that I put in there will make up for it! I was actually debating whether to delete that scene or not ( just would have put it later in the story), but I decided to keep it!

ALSO, I don't know if I told you guys this last week, but the group is no longer headed to London, they are going to Dublin! I repeat, THEY ARE GOING TO DUBLIN! The only reason I switched locations is because I was trying to be historically correct with my story, so I looked up where the World Fair was during the turn of the century, and it was in Dublin.

Another thing, I might be changing chapter 15 and 16 VERY SLIGHTLY either this week or next week. You DO NOT have to re-read them, but you can if you want.

Read and review please!

~AnimeGirl124~


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when the wall clock went off. The small chimes of the clock sounded throughout the small hotel room. Allen groaned. He hadn't slept well that night. Not with the memories of Tyki's actions the past evening still fresh in his mind. Why had he reacted to the man's touch? Why did his heart start to beat wildly in his chest again? He thought he had gotten over that!

_Tyki is just a friend!_ Allen thought vigorously. _He is nothing more than that!_

As the clock chimed its last note, Allen heard a rustling come from the other bed. Rolling over on his side Allen saw his roommate get up and stretch. Remembering the man was partly undressed, Allen turned his head before he saw anything. _Just a friend, _he decided.

"Good morning Tyki." said Allen as he got out of his bed. "We have about two hours until the fair starts, so I would suggest getting ready so we can get breakfast."

"Right. You think Lavi and that girl are up yet?" Either Tyki had completely forgotten last night's events, or he chose not to speak of them. Probably the latter.

"Most likely. Lavi was the one who told us to get up at this hour anyway. I think I heard Lenalee get up a few minutes ago."

Tyki nodded. Grabbing a new set of clothes Allen headed towards the bathroom. Friend or not, he wasn't going to get dressed in front of the man.

In two hours the group was standing at the entrance to Herbert Park. Tyki was amazed. There were booths _everywhere!_ The whole park seemed to be filled with little square stalls all neatly ordered in long streets. The smell of baked goods seemed to fill the air, along with the sounds of people laughing and talking with one another. As he looked further out Tyki could see a large wheel-shaped structure at the far end of the park, along with a few other stands.

"Ok so here's the plan today." Lavi announced. "Since it's New Years Eve tonight the fireworks aren't going to go off until the end of the day. Until then we can walk around and do whatever we want. There are plenty of stores and other things to look at while we are here, so we can buy some things as well."

Lavi seemed to pause before he looked at Tyki. " As you know, you have to stay with us for the whole trip, so try to keep up." Leaning closer Lavi muttered in a low voice. "While we do trust you to some degree, if you try to ditch us, we _will_ come after you." Tyki sighed before nodding to the comment. "Good!" said Lavi, rubbing his hands together. " Now, so long as you understand that, lets have some fun!"

"Um, would it be ok if we were to look at a shoe booth before we get started?" Lenalee asked as she looked around. "I need to get some new shoes since my lat pair was ruined in the Akuma attack."

"Alright." said Allen. "But I also want to get a new vest, and Lavi, you look like you could use some new pants! Oh! And also!" Allen looked over to Tyki and smiled. _We are just friends._ "We need to get him some new clothes."

"Leave that to me!" said Lenalee. "While I may not be a boy, I do have some taste in men's clothing!" Tyki was about to ask why, but Lenalee saved him his breath. "Nii-san never buys himself new clothes, so it is up to me to buy them for him." Tyki nodded, not doubting her statement for a second.

"Ok, so first we go to the shoe store, then a clothing booth. We can get some lunch after that, and then go find a bookstore. Sound good?" asked Lavi.

"Yep!" said Allen and Lenalee in unison. Lavi leaned over to Tyki and whispered in his ear.

"Just to let you know, Lenalee and I are going to be buying Allen some late birthday gifts. His birthday was the 25th of December, so don't let him know." Tyki only nodded.

"Then lets go! Off to the shoe store!" Lavi shouted with enthusiasm.

"Yeah!"

Four hours later, Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, and Tyki were headed towards the end of Herbert Park. It had been a good day so far. After Lenalee bought a new pair of shoes and Allen got his vest (a nice new dark gray one with stripes), it was Tyki's turn to get new clothes.

The kids probably spent an hour in the booth, tying to get the perfect clothes for him. They refused to let Tyki get any more tuxedos. The settled on a black vest with silver buttons on the pockets. They bought him a nice gray bow tie ribbon to go with his new frilled white shirt. As for pants, they bought him a pair of skinny dark gray ones. They also managed to find a new pair of black leather shoes with a silver belt buckle on them and a white ribbon to tie his hair back with.

Tyki was touched that Allen's friends would be willing to spend the money on him. Still, he suspected that Allen had a part in the undertaking. While they were shopping, Tyki saw Lenalee buy Allen a new pair of white and gray gloves, and Lavi bought Allen a nice new book. Tyki however, had yet to buy the boy a gift.

The group of friends arrived at the other side of the park around five in the afternoon. The booths here seemed to be very different from the ones at the entrance of the park. For starters, there was a stand where you could shoot a gun at some targets. If you were lucky and could hit one, you could win a prize. Lavi somehow managed to bring home a small stuffed rabbit for Lenalee, who was very happy to receive the gift.

It seemed that while the adults were buying things at the fair, all the children had gathered in this section of the park. There were kids _everywhere!_ It was all they could to not trample on small feet or bump into small bodies.

The group finally stopped at a large booth that served full meals for dinner, much to Allen's delight. Tyki felt bad for Lenalee and Lavi, who must have spent a fortune to feed Allen. Afterward, they went for dessert and got Allen a giant cake. Lenalee and Lavi also gave Allen his birthday presents during that time. Tyki somewhat felt bad for not getting Allen a gift, but Allen told him not to worry about it.

"Ok, now that we are done with dessert, what do you guys want to do?" asked Lenalee as she stepped from the bakery booth. "I personally want to check out more of the booths around here. They're so cute!"

""I want to go to the ring toss!" shouted Lavi, raising his arm. "Tyki, what about you?"

"Oh, I will do whatever you guys want to do." said the Ex-Noah, looking around at the fair. "What about you, Allen?"

Allen seemed to pause before deciding. "I would like to ride that big thing over there!" said the boy, pointing to the large wheel-shaped structure.

"The call that a Ferris wheel." Tyki explained, craning his neck to see the top of the structure. "It was invented in France very recently."

"Cool!" said Lavi. "So, if you guys want, we can either split up into groups of two, or travel together as one big group."

"I vote traveling in groups of two!" Lenalee chirped, grabbing Lavi's arm. Lavi blushed slightly.

"Any objections?" he asked.

Allen _was_ going to object, but Tyki cut him off before he could say anything.

"Ok. We will meet at the bakery booth over there ten minutes before midnight." said Lavi as he pointed in a direction. "See you then!"

"Sounds good! Ok, bye!" replied Tyki, waving at Allen's friends as they disappeared into the crowd. Tyki turned to Allen and smiled. "Let's go!" Allen seemed to pause before finally nodding in agreement. _We are just friends._

The two headed to the Ferris wheel in high spirits. Allen could not stop talking about the rest of the day's plans. Since it was New Years Eve, all three Exorcists wanted to catch the first few moments of it near a clock tower. When they got to the Ferris wheel, Tyki made his decision. _This_ was where he was going to give Allen his birthday present. In truth, he had lied to Allen about not getting him a gift. He had bought it when they were at the Jeweler's booth, but he had wanted to give it to Allen when they were alone.

"Attention girls and boys!" shouted a man over the speaker. "This will be the last ride of the night for the Ferris wheel. If you have not ridden it yet, I would suggest you try it! It's good fun!"

"Hurry!" said Tyki, grabbing Allen's sleeve and pulling him to the end of the line. "We need to make this one or you aren't going to be able to ride it." Allen seemed surprised at Tyki's eagerness to ride the Ferris Wheel, even though he was the one who suggested they go on it. To Tyki's good luck, there was no one in line behind them, meaning that they would get a whole box to themselves. They boarded the Ferris wheel, and were off!

Looking down at the ground Allen could not help but smile. He had never gotten the change to ride a Ferris Wheel until now. Tyki was seated opposite of the boy. This Ferris wheel was smaller than the one he had gone on with Road a few years back. That time, 20 people could get into one car. This Ferris wheel seemed to fit only four people.

"Allen, come over hear, I have something for you." Said Tyki, reaching into his pocket. "Allen sat down next to the Ex-Noah, a slight look of confusion crossing his face. Tyki pulled out a small flat box. "Happy belated Birthday, Allen."

"I thought you said you didn't have a birthday present for me." said Allen as he looked at the red bow tied around the box.

"I lied!" Tyki replied simply. "I wanted to give this to you when we were alone." Allen seemed to stop for another moment, then pulled the bow loose from the present. Slowly, he opened the small box, and blinked. Inside it was a pure silver medallion. Engraved in abalone shell was an image of a white swan. On the back, Allen could see his name engraved deep into the metal.

"Tyki." Said Allen, holding the medallion up. "It's lovely." Allen looked at Tyki and smiled. "Thank you."

"Really?" said Tyki, his face seeming to brighten. When Tyki had first seen the necklace, he had immediately thought of Allen, though he had been afraid to buy it because he thought Allen would say it was too girly. In truth, Allen _did_ think it was slightly girlish, but who was he to complain? After all, it's the thought that counts. Tyki was happy he had taken the risk in buying it for the boy's birthday.

"Do you need help?" the man asked as he watched Allen struggle to put on his new gift.

When there was no reply, Tyki walked over to sit next to the boy.

"Here." Brushing the hair from Allen's neck, he felt the boy stiffen. The man guessed the boy was a little embarrassed at his action. Smiling, Tyki looped the medallion around the boy's neck and closed the clamp. Allen turned around and smiled. The necklace sat right in between his sternum bone, the white swan glistening in the light.

"It looks beautiful." remarked Tyki as he smiled down at Allen. "It fits you perfectly."

"Thank you for the wonderful present." Tyki grabbed hold of Allen's hand and looked into his eyes.

"Your Welcome." Allen seemed taken aback by the movement, before pulling his hand from Tyki's and looking out the window of the car, smiling lightly. "Looks like we are close to the ground." Allen turned to Tyki and smiled again. "Time to go."

"Man Allen what took you guys?" asked Lavi as soon as they met up.

"There was a long line for the Ferris Wheel." said Tyki, putting his hand on Allen's shoulder.

"Hmmm. Well, you made it, so we are all ok. Oh?" Lavi bent down to inspect Allen's neck. "Where did you get the pendant Allen?"

Allen smiled, looking embarrassed. "Tyki gave it to me as a birthday present."

"Oh." Lavi turned to Tyki. "But why did you not give it to Allen when we gave him his presents?"

"I didn't have a present for him then." Tyki lied. "I found it when Allen and I went to the Ferris wheel."

"Hm. Well, it is a nice present." Lavi straightened up and turned to Lenalee. "Anyway, we'd better hurry. New Years Day is only five minutes away!" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Luckily for everyone, I found the perfect place to see the fireworks, but we have to hurry!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Allen as he gently removed Tyki's hand from his shoulder. "Let's go!" The teen began to take off in a direction, then stopped. "Wait Lavi, where is this place that you want to take us?" Lavi grinned.

"Just follow me!"

"Wow Lavi! How did you find this place?" asked Lenalee, looking over the ledge of the booth they were standing on. Lavi had taken them to a small abandoned booth at the edge of the fair, the roof having a perfect view of the clock. Despite it being empty, the booth was surprisingly stable. The friends could get onto the roof of the building without much difficulty. At the top, Lavi had prepared snacks and a bottle of grape juice, much to everyone's amusement.

"I saw it when we were passing through town." Lavi sat down on one of the blankets and looked at Lenalee. "Remember how I said I had to go to the bathroom earlier and told you I would catch up with you later?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this is where I went. I bought some stuff from a nearby store and brought it here."

"Wow! Thanks Lavi!" said Allen, taking a seat next to him. Allen and Tyki sat on the blanket next to them and looked up at the sky. Already they could see people getting ready for the New Year.

"We have less than a minute until it is the New Year guys." said Lavi happily, looking at the clock. Do you have your wishes ready?"

"Yep!" the group replied in unison.

"Lady's and gentlemen!" came a voice from the clock tower. "The new year is almost upon us! Please join me in counting down and welcoming the New Year!" A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd of people in the square. Then, the countdown began.

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! " The crowd chanted. The group of friends joined in.

"Four!" shouted Lenalee, looking at Lavi.

"Three!" shouted Lavi, smiling back at her.

"Two!" shouted Tyki, grabbing Allen's hand.

"One." Said Allen, looking at the sky and closing his eyes.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Shouted the crowd. A loud cheer erupted from the square. All around, people were cheering, hugging and kissing one another. Allen turned to look at Lavi and Lenalee, and saw Lenalee give Lavi a quick kiss on the mouth. Allen had never seen the red-haired Exorcist turn as red as he did then. Allen smiled at the sight before feeling Tyki squeeze his hand. He looked up to see Tyki looking at him and smiling.

"Happy New Year, Allen." Whispered the Ex-Noah softly. And with that, Tyki planted a soft kiss on Allen's cheek. Now it was Allen's turn to blush. Then the full realization of what Tyki had done fully hit him, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Tyki!" Allen exclaimed, pulling away from the Ex-Noah. "Why did you…?"

"Because I like you Allen." Tyki replied simply. Allen looked very flustered at the comment. Tyki…liked him? As in _like_ like! Allen shook his head, trying to get his mind around the foreign concept.

"But Tyki," began Allen, looking up at the tall man. "I'm not a g-"

"I don't care Allen." Said Tyki, looking at the sky. "I really like you." Allen blushed deeply, not knowing what to say. Instead, Allen looked up at the fireworks. He would have some serious thinking to do when he got back to the Black Order.

The friends made their way back to the hotel around one in the morning. It had taken the group a while to get back from the fair. Allen had been silent all the way, saying nothing even after they got to their room. Tyki had also noticed the fact that Allen chose to sit next to Lenalee on the boat and train instead of him the next day. The whole time, Allen refused to even glance at the Ex-Noah. Even when they got back to the Order the next evening, Allen had barely glanced at the man before going to his room. Tyki sighed as he entered his own room. He could tell that the boy was troubled by Tyki's actions at the fair. He wasn't surprised though. What he has said would throw anyone off, possibly making their life a little more complicated. But the boy had to know his feelings, so it was a risk Tyki had been willing to take. What the man didn't know, was _his_ life was about to be made more complicated as well.

"Hello Tyki." spoke a voice from inside his room. Tyki froze, hand still on the door handle. He knew whose voice that was. "Long time no see," said Road as she jumped off Tyki's bed. "How have you been?"

"What are you doing here Road?" asked Tyki, closing the door behind him. If anyone saw here, it could cause a lot of problems.

"I'm here to take you back." Road said simply, walking over to the Ex-Noah. "The Earl is missing you greatly."

"Did you not get my message from the Akuma?" Tyki asked in a polite tone as he looked over his niece's black face. "I said I don't want to go back. I do not wish to have anything to do with the Earl anymore." Road stopped in the middle of the room, her back turned to Tyki.

"So it was true." She mused. She turned around to face Tyki again. "I had been hoping that the Akuma was lying, but it seems it was telling the truth. Why don't you want to come back, Lord Tyki Mikk?"

"Please don't call me that." said Tyki, then taking a seat on his couch. "You know as well as I do that I am no longer a Noah." Road just burst out laughing.

"Yes, you are, Tyki." She said, trying to stop herself. "As long as you have your powers, you are a Noah, whether you like it or not."

"I have lost my powers as a Noah." said Tyki, finally stopping Road's laughter. "Allen, or rather one of his friends, killed the Noah inside my body." He lifted his arm to show her the silver ring on his hand. Suddenly, his hand began to glow with a green light. "I am now an Exorcist." Tyki looked at his ring and muttered: "Innocence, Activate!" Road stepped back, a look of shock and confusion crossing her face.

"How?" she demanded, eying the gloves that now adorned Tyki's hands. "How did you become an Exorcist? No, that is the wrong question. _Why_ are you an Exorcist?" Tyki turned his back to Road, a frown crossing his facial features.

"About a month ago, my human friends were killed in an Akuma attack." said Tyki, closing his eyes. "Only one of my friends survived. It was then that I decided that I would no longer be working with you. Now, if you don't mind, I would like you to leave." Road just stood there, eyes never leaving Tyki's hands. A small smile crossed her face.

"Very well, Tyki," she said as she headed fro the window. "I will let you have your way for now. But do keep this in mind: This is not over." She looked at him from the windowsill and smirked. "I _will_ come back to get you, and you will come with me, whether you want to or not." Road laughed once more, then disappeared into the night.

(A/N) Ok here is Chapter 18! Man, I can't believe I'm already here! Do you guys realize that you have read 34,996 words and 128 pages so far? That's a TON! I can barely believe it myself! Thank you all for reading this story for so long! I really appreciate it! I am SO glad I made it on time with this chapter (Laziness struck BIG TIME this week so I had to write this all in one day!). I was afraid I wasn't going to make it! I hope you like the romance scenes I put in for you! Please read and review!

~Animegirl124~


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_Darkness. All around was darkness._

_Where am I? He thought as he searched the black. As his eyes accustomed to the dark, he screamed._

_Dead. Everyone, dead. Blood flooded the dark. Kanda. Lavi. Lenalee. Komui. Reever. Johnny. Eaze. All were lying motionless on the ground._

"_LENALEE!" he shouted as he ran through the maze of corpses. "LAVI! KANDA! EAZE!" Suddenly, he stopped. There was the Earl, grinning his malicious smile._

"_YOU!" He ran, ran as fast as his limbs could carry him. "YOU KILLED THEM!" The Earl said nothing. A flash, and he was on the ground as well. The blood of his friends ran past him in streams. Someone was on top of him. A man. He knew him, but how?_

"_No Allen," whispered the man. "It wasn't the Earl. It was you."_

Allen woke with a start, his blood pounding in his ears. His breath was heavy, and he was soaked in sweat.

_The same nightmare,_ he thought as he tried to steady his breathing. He had been having the same dream for the past week. Ever since he had come back from Dublin, his sleep had been plagued with images of death.

_Why?_ He thought again. _Why is it always them?_ But Allen knew the answer. The 14th within him was causing these dreams. He knew it. There could be no other explanation. The words his master had told him still haunted his mind.

_You'll have to kill someone you love when you become the 14__th__. _

Allen shuttered. No, it would not happen. He would make sure of it. He would never become the 14th if it meant killing someone he loved. Never.

But why was he having these dreams now? Allen stopped.

_I know the 14__th__ is responsible for the dreams, but why hasn't this happened before?_ Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. _Is it because he knows I'm stressed about-?_

A sudden knock on the door pulled the teen from his thoughts.

"Allen?" Came a voice from behind his door. _Eaze?_ "Allen, are you up?"

"Um yeah just give me a second." Stumbling from the bed, Allen opened up to see Eaze standing in his doorway.

"Hi Eaze." said Allen, smiling down at the child. "What are you doing here?"

"I have come with a message!" replied Eaze, looking very excited. "You, me, and Tyki, have a mission today!" Allen looked at the boy in surprise. A mission? With Eaze and Tyki? "We get to go on a mission together!" repeated the boy, not seeing Allen's discomfort. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah Allen," added a voice from outside his room. Allen leaned out of his doorway to see Tyki leaning against the wall. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah." said Allen, trying to sound excited for Eaze's sake. "I can't wait. When do we leave?"

"We leave at three this afternoon, so you have some time." Eaze looked over at Tyki. "You guys had better be ready by then! We will be going to Portugal!" And with that, the seven-year-old boy disappeared, leaving Allen and Tyki alone. The silence was deafening between the two of them.

"So," commented Tyki, looking past Allen's head to see his bed. "Is this your room?" Allen nodded, noticing how Tyki was getting leaning closer to him. "Have you thought about what I said on New Year's Eve?" Again, Allen nodded, feeling Tyki backing him into his room.

The man was definitely getting too close for his own good. Tyki finally pinned Allen against a wall and placed his hand next to his face. "I just want to let you know that what I said then is true. I really do like you." Tyki looked away but still kept Allen pressed to the wall. "Maybe more than I should." Tyki straightened and took his hand away. "If you ever want to go out sometime, just let me know. Anyway, I am looking forward to my first official mission. I will see you in an hour. Oh, and you might want to take a shower before then. You smell like sweat." And with that, Tyki left. Allen shook his head and sighed. He could tell this mission was going to be a difficult one.

Two and a half hours later, Allen, Tyki, and Eaze were on a train to Portugal. They were going to be gone for three days, so all three of them had suitcases with them. Tyki turned to Allen and saw that he was wearing Tyki's birthday gift around his neck. Tyki smiled. _At least he's still wearing it_. The train ride lasted for what seemed like ages, even though Eaze was doing everything he could in his power to make conversation. After about an hour the boy stopped his efforts and took a nap. Allen and Tyki made no conversation for the entire train ride.

In truth, Allen wasn't happy that he was on this mission with Tyki. In fact, the boy had made a point of avoiding the black-haired man ever since they had gotten back from the fair. He knew a week had already passed, but he still didn't want to talk to him. Not after…well, after the New Year.

When they finally got to Portugal, they met up with their Finder and went to a hotel for the rest of the night. Luckily for Allen, everyone had his own room, meaning that he would not have to sleep on the floor next to Tyki. Allen shuttered at the thought as he entered his room. The room was a lot smaller than his room at Headquarters, but that was to be expected. It had one twin-sized bed, a bathroom, one lamp, and a table. Grabbing his nightclothes from his suitcase, Allen headed towards the bathroom to get ready for bed. As he changed, something flashed across the surface of the mirror. Looking at his reflection, Allen realized it was the swan pendant that had caught his eye.

_Why am I still even wearing this?_ He thought as he unclasped the chain. The white bird seemed to glisten in the light of the room. _Sure it's a birthday gift, but even so…_ he sighed. Gently, Allen took the bird and placed it in his suitcase, his mind clouded with confusion.

Suddenly, Allen felt the overwhelming urge to bathe. Sure, he had taken a shower earlier that morning, but right now he needed to think.

Turning on the water, Allen reached over to touch the cheek Tyki had kissed the week before. He was still confused as to why the Ex-Noah would do such a thing. Stepping into the shower, Allen closed his eyes. The warm water felt good against his pale skin. As Allen washed himself, he thought of the Ex-Noah. Tyki was a very good-looking person, but smelt like cigarettes all the time. He was very tall, which most people considered attractive, but in this case he seemed to tower over Allen. In addition, the man was exceptionally composed, much unlike the rest of the Noah family. Tyki to be sure had feelings for other humans, or so he said. True, Tyki was nice now, but he had been a mass murderer before he had come to the Order. _But should I really be thinking about him this way_?

Allen sighed again. He didn't know. He didn't know anything. He didn't know his feelings for the man, and he didn't think he was going to know for a while. He knew it was rude to keep avoiding Tyki, but if he confronted him he wouldn't know what to say. At least the man had, to some degree, respected his need to be alone. _What is he to me? Really?_

As Allen was brushing his teeth, he heard a hand bang against his door. Quickly spitting out the toothpaste, Allen let his guest in. To his surprise, it was none other than Eaze standing outside his room.

"Eaze," said Allen. "Is anything wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, but I want to ask you something." the child replied, "May I come in?"

"Sure!" Eaze stepped into the room and looked around.

"Wow, this room is much smaller than your room at home!" exclaimed the child, sitting down on Allen's bed.

"True enough." Allen took a seat next to his friend. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"What's wrong with you and Tyki?" asked Eaze. Allen froze. "You guys used to be on such good terms with each other," the boy continued, "and now, you two are barely talking to one another. Well actually, it is more you who is not talking to Tyki." Allen looked away, feeling embarrassed that the boy had noticed his discomfort. For a seven-year-old, the kid was very sharp.

"Well, it's just that some stuff had happened, and I am just trying to figure it all out. It's complicated." Allen could not bring himself to look directly at his young friend. Eaze sighed and got up.

"Well, if you ever want to talk about it, you can talk to me." he said. Allen was sure that he would never tell Eaze about his current problem, but he was touched that the boy wanted to help him. Allen smiled.

"I will if I need to," said Allen, looking at the boy. "Thanks for the offer."

Eaze smiled. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. See you in the morning Allen!"

"Good night Eaze." said Allen as he watched the boy disappear into the hallway. It was time for Allen to go to sleep as well.

As Allen got into his bed, he thought about what Eaze had said. Sure, it was true that Allen liked Tyki's company, but he thought it was just because he _had_ to learn to like the Ex-Noah. The thought had never occurred to him that Tyki might actually be a _friend_ to him. Allen sighed and closed his eyes. He would figure everything out eventually.

Everyone got a bright and early start the next morning. The place that they were traveling to was a small town in the middle of nowhere. Apparently, a traveler had tried to stop in the town, only to find that everyone in the town had disappeared. As it turned out, all of the townspeople had fled underground due to constant Akuma attacks. The order would have normally left the town alone, as there were many towns with the same problem, but there had been reports of most of the Akuma being Level 3 and on the brink of becoming Level 4. It was up to Allen, Tyki, and Eaze to destroy them.

"Mr. Finder?" asked Eaze, looking around at his surroundings. "How much longer have we got to go before we get there?"

"We are almost there." replied the Finder, looking at the young Exorcist. "Try to be patient."

"This is getting boring!" complained the boy. "Tyki, could you carry me? My feet can't carry me another step."

"Sure Eaze." Said Tyki, lifting the boy onto his shoulders.

"Yay!" Eaze hugged Tyki's head. "Thank you Tyki! Now, onward!" Eaze pointed his arm in the direction of the town. Tyki just smiled and continued to walk.

After about a half an hour, the Finder and three Exorcists arrived at the town. True to the reports, the town was abandoned. Homes lay with broken windows, and stores without any supplies in them. Every building seemed to be damaged. The group managed to find the entrance to the town's underground hideout, and was surprised to see that so many people had survived the attacks. The town's mayor said that the Akuma came for them at night, so they would have to wait to see them.

Allen wandered around the cave the town was hiding in. The cave was filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and was a fairly large cavern. Allen could have walked for hours and never found where the caves ended. Luckily for the townspeople, the Akuma had not found a way into the caves yet.

"Hello Allen," whispered a voice behind a stalagmite. Allen turned to see Tyki approaching him. _Oh no not again!_ thought Allen, trying to get past the Ex-Noah.

"Not now Tyki," Allen was more than a little annoyed that Tyki kept pestering him. "I don't have time to deal with you right now." Tyki looked slightly offended by his comment.

"I was only coming over to tell you that it was dinner time." Tyki muttered, looking down. Allen mentally slapped himself for immediately thinking that Tyki came over to annoy him.

"Sorry." Allen apologized, passing Tyki and heading for the Eaze and the Finder. "I didn't-" But Allen never finished his sentence, because at that moment, the roof of the cave collapsed. Everyone turned to see five Level 3 Akuma come through the ceiling.

"Innocence, Activate!" shouted Tyki and Allen in unison. Allen dodged as another Level 3 appeared above them.

"Crown Edge!" shouted Allen, his claw coming into contact with the Akuma's head. The Akuma shrieked, then fell to the ground in a ball of flame. Allen turned to see Eaze activating his Innocence and destroying more Akuma. Allen hoped the boy would be all right. After all, this was Eaze's first time fighting since the invasion.

"Judgment!" came Tyki's voice from across the way. Allen turned to see the Finder trying to usher the townsfolk deeper into the caves while Tyki was covering them. The scene reminded him too much of the Miner's Massacre. Allen saw a mother carrying her child and her daughter running after her. The Akuma made a dive for the girl, but Tyki intercepted the attack and destroyed it before it could reach her. So far, everyone seemed to be holding his own against the Akuma. Sadly for them however, the battle was just beginning. As Allen looked up, he saw at least 20 other Level 3 Akuma swoop into the cave. And made their way towards the townspeople. Eaze tried to intervene, but was easily kicked out of the way. The boy was flung back and hit the side of the cave.

"Eaze!" shouted Tyki, trying to make his way over to the boy. But it was no use, if he left his place, the Akuma would swarm the cave and kill the townspeople. Unfortunately for Tyki, the Akuma saw his hesitation and gave him a slash in the arm.

"Tyki!" shouted Allen, running over to the fallen man. "Edge End!" The Akuma heading into the passage were easily cut in half from the attack. Allen took over Tyki's spot as guard while Tyki tried to get up. The cut in his arm was deep, but it didn't cut through the bone. Tyki would be fine, even if he could no longer use his arm for the time being.

"Punishment!" shouted Tyki, shooting energy from his fingers into the Akuma's bodies.

"Tyki!" shouted Allen, "Don't stain yourself! Go and help-" All of a sudden, Allen's cursed hand began to glow. Allen looked to see the Innocence inside his hand start to glow brightly. Allen looked over to Tyki, only to see Tyki's Innocence start to glow as well._ What is going on here?_ But Allen never got to voice his question.

"Allen look out!" shouted Tyki, as he jumped in front of the white-haired Exorcist. Allen had just enough time to see a Level 3 Akuma whack Tyki in the side of the head. Allen heard a sickening crunch, before Tyki's body flew threw the air and hit the side of the cave.

"Tyki!" shouted Allen, waiting for the Ex-Noah to get up. Tyki lay on the ground motionless, eyes closed. "Stop this!" shouted Allen, as he threw himself at the Akuma. Allen pulled off his left arm, turning it into a sword. "Death Ball!" he shouted. The ball of energy hit five Akuma, who all combusted into a million pieces before realizing what had hit them.

Allen turned to the five other remaining Akuma. "Energy Ark!" he cried as the sword made contact with the group of Akuma. The Akuma shrieked, then fell to the floor and combusted. Allen straightened and took a look around the cave. The townspeople's section of cave seemed to be ok, but the rest of the cave was in taters. All that was left of the stalagmites and stalactites were stumps on the floor and ceiling.

"Allen!" shouted Eaze's voice form across the cave. Allen turned to see Eaze holding Tyki's head in his lap. "You have got to come quick!" the boy shouted. "Tyki is not waking up!" Allen ran over to the boy, who was beginning to cry.

"Tyki?" groaned Allen, taking the Ex-Noah into his hands. "Tyki. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." Allen felt nothing. "Tyki!" said Allen, a little bit more frantically. Blood was starting to pool at his feet. "Tyki! Wake up!" Allen turned to their Finder. "Contact headquarters immediately and have them prepare the medical team. Tyki Mikk had been injured and is not responding."

"Yes sir." Said the Finder, setting off to find his phone backpack. Allen turned to Tyki again, trying to not panic. Allen pulled up Tyki's sleeve to see more blood flowing from the cut.

"Is there a doctor in this town?" shouted Allen. "Tyki needs to be treated immediately!" Allen saw a man step forward from the townspeople and run over to him. The man inspected Tyki's body for several minutes, not making a sound. After a moment, the man straightened.

"It seems that monster cracked part of this man's skull." Allen felt his breath quicken.

"Don't worry," said the doctor, looking at Allen. "Your friend is not going to die of this wound. He will to be on bed rest for a while, but he should be fine. His arm will need stitches though. As for his coma, I am afraid there is nothing I can do but make him comfortable." Allen turned to see the Finder running over to them.

"I have contacted headquarters, and they are sending out more Miranda Lotto and three other Finders to help us transport him."

"Good," sighed Allen turning back to Tyki. "Hang on Tyki, we will be going home soon."

(A/N) OMG I AM SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS 2 DAYS LATE! I had a REALLY hard time with this one, and school started this week too! I've been so busy I haven't had time to even look this over throughly until today! I wrote this thing 2 times before I finally got it right! Again, I AM SO SORRY! I WILL TRY TO DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE!

Speaking about that, since school started for me this week and all, I might change the uploading date from Thursday to Friday. That way, I can concentrate on my homework during the week, and won't have to upload something mid-week. It might be later in the day though. I'll try to post it in the morning, but I might have to wait until the evening. Anyway, let me know what you think.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The next day, Allen, Eaze, Miranda, Tyki, and the Finders were back at home. Miranda had temporarily healed Tyki's arm and head, but he still needed stitches when they returned. Miranda had not however, taken Tyki out of his coma. She thought it would be best for him to sleep and restore his energy. Tyki was now in the hands of God, which was not a very promising thought to Allen, considering that Tyki had been doing nothing but bad things up until he came to the Order.

It was now a week later, and Allen was starting to get worried. Tyki lay in a hospital bed, looking like he was asleep, but Allen knew better. He just had to hope that Tyki would wake up soon.

"Allen?" came a voice from the doorway. Allen turned to see Lenalee and Lavi coming up behind him.

"Hey guys." said Allen quietly. "What are you-?" Allen stopped. "Lavi! What happened to your eye?" The red-haired exorcists' only remaining eye was now a dark shade of black and purple. Lavi grinned sheepishly.

"It was Nii-san's fault." answered Lenalee sadly.

"Why?"

"Well, we kind of told him we are...going out."

Allen blinked. "You two, are...dating?"

"Yeah. We have been since New Year's." Suddenly Lavi's face got dark. "Komui-san didn't like it one bit."

"He punched Lavi before I could do anything." said Lenalee, feeling ashamed. "Reever and the others are holding him off for now, but we don't know how long that's going to last."

"I'm assuming he's throwing a fit as well?"

"One like you've never seen." muttered Lavi. "If things don't get better soon, I'm going to start fearing for my life."

"I don't think Komui-san would hurt you if you are important to Lenalee." Allen tried to comfort his friend. "He will stop eventually."

"I highly doubt that. Anyway, we've come down to visit Tyki." Lavi pulled up a seat next to Allen. "Has he woken up yet?" The teen shook his head.

"No, he hasn't. I'm starting to worry that he never will."

"Allen!" Lenalee sounded appalled. "Don't say that! Of course he will get better!"

"I don't know. You didn't see how hard he hit that wall. And there was so much blood."

"You should thank Miranda for what she did." noted Lavi.

"I already did, about ten times by now. If it weren't for her…well, things might not have gone as well." Silence seemed to enshroud the group, the only sound being Tyki's slow and steady breathing.

"Hey Allen," Lavi said breaking the silence. "Lenalee and I were wondering if you wanted to get a bite to eat." 

"You've been here all day, you must be hungry." Added the girl. Right on cue, Allen's stomach growled.

"I would, but if I go who will watch over Tyki?"

"The nurse can manage him for a half an hour."

"But what if he wakes up while I'm gone?"

"Then the nurse can come and get you immediately." Allen seemed to hesitate.

"Come on, it will just take a few minutes." Another growl from Allen's stomach made up his mind.

"Alright. We can get something to eat."

Five minutes later, Allen and his friends were in the cafeteria. Across the way, Allen could see Eaze and Timothy eating and talking with one another. Allen smiled. He was glad that Eaze and Timothy had become friends. It would be good for Eaze. He needed to be around kids his own age.

"Hello Allen~!" Came Jerry's voice from his left. "I didn't see you this afternoon for lunch! Has something happened?" Jerry looked very distraught.

"No, I was just taking care of Tyki. I'm sorry that I didn't come up to eat." The cook didn't seem to think it a legitimate excuse. "Tell you what, can I have a sub sandwich with everything, a pot of beef stew, five helpings of spaghetti, two pans of lasagna, curry, a large salad, a hamburger, some French fries, a salmon, chicken pot pie, fried tofu, a hot dog, two watermelons, five pizzas, cooked shrimp, ten meatballs, three enchiladas, six tacos, three burritos, a roasted chicken, sushi, a steak, a banana split, chocolate mouse, and a cherry pie please?"

"Oh that sounds wonderful!" Said Jerry, twirling around in place. "I'll have you're food ready in a few minutes! Ah! And what would you like Lavi-san? Lenalee-chan?"

"Just some pasta with meatballs for us." answered Lavi grinning. "We can share."

"Alright! Come back in a few minutes and your food will be ready!" Allen smiled. Jerry really loved his job.

"LAVI!" came a voice from the dining entrance. Lavi froze, his eyes wide with terror.

"Komui!"

"LAVI!" Shouted Komui again, vigorously scanning the dining hall. In his arms were some very dangerous-looking machines. "Where are you? Where is my Lenalee! You won't lay a finger on her!" Spotting Lavi Komui smiled.

"FOUND YOU!" He shouted, and charged.

"Run Lavi!" cried another voice. Allen turned to see Reever and Johnny enter the cafeteria, flailing their arms wildly. "We can't restrain him!"

Lavi didn't need to be told twice. Lavi sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him. If Komui got a hold of him, his life was over.

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE!" screamed the director. "HOW DARE YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH LENALEE!"

"No Komui!" shouted Allen, jumping in front of Komui's path. Turning his arm into a sword, he pointed it at the charging man. "Stop this!" Komui knocked him over as if he were a fly. With a cry, Allen was sailing in the air, before landing painfully on a dining table.

"Allen!" called Reever, running over to the injured teen. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, somehow, anyway, just stop Komui before he does something!"

"I'm trying!" yelled Johnny, who was now chasing the director around the room. "He's really fast!"

"Komui-san, we didn't say that to make you angry! I was just telling the truth!" Shouted Lavi behind his back. "We thought we should let you know because you're her older brother!"

"Older brother is right!" Komui yelled. He was starting to gain on Lavi. "I'm her guardian and I say she's too young to be dating!"

"But if it was left up to you she would never date!"

"Exactly!" Komui was right behind him. With a cry and a pounce, Komui was upon him.

"Dark Boots!" Shouted Lenalee, her voice rising above everyone else's. Komui looked up to see his sister floating above his head. He barely had time to swallow before he was hit over the head by one of her shoes. For a moment, all was still. Then:

"Ow! Lenalee did you have to hit me so hard?" Whined Komui, rubbing a large, painful bump on his head.

"I didn't hit you very hard!" She stated as she looked down at her brother. "I didn't want it to come to this but Lavi and I are dating and you are just going to need to accept that!"

"No! I won't accept it!" Argued her brother. "Why are you going out? You are way to young to be dating!"

"We're dating because Lavi is very precious to me!" cried Lenalee, her voice seeming to rise. "If you hurt him I won't be able to forgive you!" Komui stopped, his eyes widening.

"Lavi-san…is precious to you?"

"Yes! He is very important to me!"

"But, but don't I matter?" Lenalee sighed.

"Nii-san, I love you very much, but I care about Lavi as well." Lenalee's voice seemed to soften. "At first, I didn't know what my feelings were for Lavi. I cared for him deeply, but something wasn't right. But after giving it some thought I realized, my feelings for Lavi were different." Allen's thoughts immediately flew to Tyki.

"I didn't know what my feelings were for a long time. I had always considered Lavi my friend, but as time when on, I realized that I cared about him in a different way. And after a while, I was able to work up the courage to tell him how I felt. When I heard that his feelings were the same, I was really happy. But then I thought about what you would do if you found out, and I got scared. I didn't want Lavi to get hurt because of us. But Lavi said that you needed to know, regardless of the danger so we told you. I care about Lavi a lot."

"But-"

"And that's when I realized, that no matter what you say, my emotions will not change. It's my decision Nii-san, not yours! So please, just accept us! That's all we want." Komui said nothing, looking at the floor. Allen's breath was held too, waiting to hear Komui's verdict. Finally, the man spoke.

"Alright. I accept you two are…d-dating." Lenalee's face broke into a smile.

"Nii-san, thank you!" She cried, throwing her arms around her brother. Tears of joy were now streaming down the girl's face.

"Thank you, Komui-san, for accepting our relationship." Said Lavi, patting the director on the shoulder. "I will take good care of her."

"You had better, or so help me I'll track you down to the ends of this Earth." Lavi seemed to chuckle.

"I know."

A half an hour later Allen was back in the hospital room. Now that everything was solved with Lavi and Lenalee, the teen was once again left alone.

Allen rested his head against Tyki's bed, looking at the sleeping form. Watching the man's chest rise and fall, he thought about what Lenalee said. She was the same as him. Their thoughts were the same. Gently, Allen placed his hand on Tyki's and squeezed lightly.

"Come on Tyki," he said, looking at the Ex-Noah's closed eyes. "Wake up." But of course, Allen's words were in vain. Tyki didn't even stir. "Please Tyki, wake up soon. We miss you."

Allen had a feeling he was going to regret what he was about to say later, but he didn't care. He needed to say it, for his sake and Tyki's. It wouldn't matter that he was saying it here though; Tyki could not hear anything he said. "Ever since you came here, I have been watching over you." Allen placed his head down on the bed again. "During the time that I have been with you, I have noticed that you have changed from the way you used to be. When I first met you as a Noah, you killed Suman, cut off my left arm, and left me to die in the bamboo forest. If it had not been for Bak, Fou, and everyone in the Asian Branch, I would have died there. After I woke up, I began to hate you, even more than Road. Yet when I met you again, I still wanted to save your soul."

Allen felt the blood begin to rise to his face. "I still didn't want to kill you, even though you had tried to kill me. At first, I thought it was only because of the promise I made to Mana, but as time passed, I realized that that was only part of it." Allen could not stop blushing now. "I realized that there was something about you, that made me want to try and get to know you, and understand you." Allen buried his head deeper into the blankets, his face feeling hot. He could not back down now. He had made his decision, and he was going to finish what he started. "You have changed so much since you came here, and have finally seen the light. And when that happened, my feelings for you, started to change."

"At first I thought that I thought you were a good friend of mine, but when I heard what you had to say on New Year's, I realized that my feelings for you were different that the one I have for my friends. I guess what I am trying to say is, I care about you too, Tyki Mikk. So please, wake up." Allen looked over at Tyki again, looking for some form of movement. Allen sighed and rested his head on the blankets once more. "I knew you wouldn't hear me." Suddenly, Allen felt a light squeeze on his hand. Allen's head flew up to see Tyki's eyes begin to flutter. A small smile was set on the Ex-Noah's face.

"So you finally said it." said Tyki, looking at Allen's astonished face. Allen quickly jumped up, his face beginning to turn red again.

"Wait, you heard me?" he asked. Allen's voice was no louder than a whisper. "You heard everything I said?"

"No, but I heard most of it." Said Tyki, pulling Allen closer to him. "I heard you say that you like me too." Allen tried to pull away but it was no use. Tyki's grasp on his arm was strong. "I was very happy to hear that part." Tyki pulled Allen even closer to him, so that he was looking the boy in the face. "I love you, Allen Walker." Allen didn't even have time to think of a response, for at that moment, Tyki kissed him softly on the lips. Allen just stood there, frozen. Tyki's smelt faintly of cigarette smoke, but Allen could fell the truth behind Tyki's words. After a few moments, Tyki released the boy, who pulled away quickly, blushing madly.

"Tyki, isn't this a little weird? I mean I'm a…you know…" Tyki seemed startled for a moment, then he smiled.

"I already told you that I don't care, Allen." He said, answering the unfinished question. "The person I like just happens to be you, and there is nothing wrong with that, so long as you are ok with it too."

Allen only nodded, the blush still not dying down. Tyki smiled and laid back down. "I am very glad to hear that." Tyki closed his eyes and released Allen from his grip. "Now, if you don't mind, I am going to go back to sleep. According to the pain in my arm, I can tell that it has not fully healed yet." Tyki opened one eye to look at Allen again. "Goodnight, Allen Walker." And with that, Tyki drifted back into unconsciousness. Allen stared at the Ex-Noah for a moment longer, then smiled as well.

"Goodnight, Tyki Mikk." He whispered, placing a hand on Tyki's head. "I will see you tomorrow."

(A/N) Here is chapter 20! It's so funny cause when I wrote this chapter, it was only 3 pages long. Now it's 9! How did that happen? XDDDD Enjoy!

~AnimeGirl124~

P.S., Yes, I know the ending was very cliché, but I don't care! XD


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Welcome back Tyki!" shouted the party guests. Tyki smiled. Yes, it was good to be out of the hospital.

Earlier that day the head nurse had finally released her patient from the hospital wind. Tyki's stitches would need to stay in for another week or two, so his left arm would have to remain in a sling. His head however was fine, though he still had a large bump to remind him of the Akuma encounter.

"I'm happy to finally see you out of the hospital wing." Lenalee said smiling.

"I'm glad too. I was getting tired of looking at the same surroundings for the past four days."

"So were we." muttered Lavi, who was promptly scolded by the girl.

"I'm just glad you are ok." stated Eaze as he dug into the last piece of cake. "I was so scared when you didn't wake up."

Tyki pulled the boy into his lap with his good arm. "Hey, I'm here right now aren't I?" Eaze nodded. "Then you can see I'm fine. An injury like that wouldn't kill me."

"It would kill a normal human." Lavi mused. "You need to remember you're not a Noah anymore so you aren't as 'durable' as you once were." Tyki just laughed.

"Yeah." agreed Allen softly, a small smile set on his face. Catching Allen's eye, Tyki moved to place his hand on the boy's, but Allen moved it at the last second.

"So, I heard you two are going out," announced Tyki, turning to look at his friends. "Am I right?" Lenalee blushed and looked the other way.

"Yeah we're going out." answered Lavi, placing an arm around the girl. "Though

I'm under the impression that while Komui said he approves of us, he's still stalking me in the hallways. I feel like I'm constantly being watched!"

"That's because you probably are. I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up one night with Komui leaning over you." said Eaze smugly. Lavi seemed to shutter at the idea.

"Don't give Komui any ideas." Tyki laughed, enjoying Lavi's reaction.

"Well did you know you aren't the only two going out in the-"

"Does anyone want more food?" Allen interrupted, cutting Tyki off mid-sentence. "I think I'll go ask Jerry to make us another pie or two. Tyki you want to come?" The tone in Allen's voice told Tyki it wasn't an option.

"Sure."

"Hey Allen while you're at it can you have Jerry make some cookies? I love his chocolate chip cookies!" Allen nodded.

"Oi Allen, where exactly are we going?" asked Tyki as soon as they were out of the room. Allen didn't turn around.

"I...I just need to talk to you alone for a few minutes." Tyki blinked, then smiled.

"I know just the place."

There were flowers everywhere. Roses, Larkspurs, Pansies, Begonias, Chrysanthemum's, there was no place the flowers hadn't been. Flower petals were scattered across the ground, giving off a multitude of sweet smells. A small path cut through the garden, leading to a small courtyard. At the center was a fountain protected by angels. A few sitting benches were provided for visitors, along with a few stone statures. A large hedge hid the whole garden.

"They're beautiful, aren't they? The flowers?" spoke Tyki softly, looking over the garden. "I've only been here once, but I'm glad I managed to find my way back here." He heard Allen smile.

" I haven't been back here in a long time. I almost forgot it existed."

"So, what did you want to talk about in private?" Allen stopped, turning to look at a grove of Anemones.

"Well, I wanted to talk about your…behavior at the party." Tyki blinked, looking confused.

"What? I'm not allowed to hold your hand? Or tell them we're going out?" Allen paused to pick at the plant.

"I would just prefer to keep it a secret for now." Tyki smiled and reached into a bush, pushing past leave to reveal a Lilac.

"I don't think we should have to hide it. Love is never wrong." Allen seemed to blush at the word "love." "Besides, wouldn't it be easier for us if everyone knew?" Allen stared at the flower for a moment, his eyes taking in is beauty. Sighing, Allen pushed the flower aside to reveal a grove of Lavender.

"No. If our friends knew about us, things might get…complicated." Tyki sighed. He knew it would be useless to argue.

"All right." said Tyki, moving close to the boy. "If you want to keep it a secret for now, we can." Allen noticed how close Tyki's face was getting. Before the boy had time to react, Tyki placed a soft kiss on his lips. Allen's blush rivaled the red roses in the garden.

Tyki pulled away and looked up. "But we have to tell them sooner or later. Or do you want them to find out on their own?"

"We'll tell them eventually, but _I'm_ still trying to get used to it." said Allen nervously looking away. Tyki just laughed and pulled the boy into a one-armed hug.

"Oh you'll get used to-" Suddenly Tyki caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, Tyki's face paled. Staring at him from behind a bush of Rhododendrons, was an Akuma's grinning face. Catching Tyki's gaze, the Akuma slowly raised a claw to its mouth.

"Tyki?" Allen asked, trying to follow the man's gaze. "What's wrong?" Tyki's head snapped back to look at the boy.

"Nothing. I just thought I saw something. Anyway, you'd better get back to the party. Everyone probably wondering where you've gone." Allen blinked.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"Yeah, I'll follow in a minute. I just want to check something out." The white-haired teen seemed a little startled at the man's change of attitude, but dismissed it.

"Alright, I'll see you in the cafeteria."

"What are you doing here Akuma." mumbled Tyki as soon as Allen was gone. The Akuma was certainly different from what Tyki was used to seeing. All over it's body were flowers and small plants. The creature looked to be composed of only vines and roots. Its skin really helped it bend in with the surroundings. The Akuma grinned.

"I've come with a message from Road-sama."

"I already told her, I don't want any more to do with the Noah or the Earl."

"Road-sama has already told the Earl about you losing your powers and becoming an Exorcist. Earl-sama was not too pleased, and wants you to return immediately."

"So, how is this any different from what I have heard so far?" yawned Tyki, a bored expression evident on his face.

"Road-sama wants to offer you one last chance to come back to the Noah hideout without consequence. She said that the Earl was very interested to hear that you have become compatible with Innocence and wishes to study you."

"Well, would you tell Road that I once again, politely decline her offer." replied Tyki, walking over to examine another grove of Rhododendrons. The Akuma grinned.

"Oh I will tell her, along with details of what I have seen here tonight." Tyki froze, his face paling for the second time that night.

"What?"

The sneer in the Akuma's voice was thick. "I saw you and that Exorcist brat. I know-"

"Innocence Activate!" yelled the man, pulling his bad arm from its sling. A sharp pain ran through his limb at the sudden movement. _Damn why did my left arm have to get hurt?_

"Are you really going to fight me Tyki-sama?" teased the Akuma, seeming to raise an eyebrow. But already the creature was getting ready for battle. Slowly all of the plants on its body seemed to change. Tyki watched as the flowers were replaced by deadly looking mushrooms and other poisonous plants. "I don't think you could even fight a child at this state."

"Shut up!" shouted Tyki. "Judgment!" A thousand black needles descended from the sky, filling the ground with holes. A few hit the Akuma, causing the machine to cry out in pain. _Got you!_ Suddenly the air was filled with a sickly stench. Coughing, Tyki looked to see the air had a green tint to it. The man's eyes widened as he realized they were coming from the mushrooms he had hit with his attack. The Akuma grinned.

"It seems you've realized your mistake. The more you hurt me, the more poisonous gas is released into the air." _Damn!_

"Deny!" A black ball seemed to envelop the man, sealing in pure air. For the time being, Tyki could breathe, but he wasn't sure how long he could keep it up.

"Ha, a shield isn't going to keep you safe. My poison can seep through anything."

"Judgment!" Tyki cried, pointing his finders at the Akuma. His left arm screamed in pain as he released his attack. The energy beams hit their mark, making the Level 2 howl in pain.

"You will pay fir that, Tyki-sama!" The creature shouted, pointing his own arm at the black sphere. Release!" A wave of gas collided with the shield, almost knocking Tyki off his feet. "Decay!" screeched the Akuma. At first nothing happened, but as time passed Tyki could see the gas was eating away at his shield. It wouldn't be long until they reached him.

_Use Cleanse!_ Shouted his mind. _This could be over in seconds if you do!_

_No, I can't use that. I don't have enough power._

_But if you don't you'll die!_

_But I can't! My right arm will be fine, but my left won't be able to handle it!_

_Is your arm really that important? It'll just take longer to heal!  
><em>

_But what if it doesn't? I already took a risk using Judgment. I can't take another chance._

_But what will happen to Allen?_

"Oh damn this!" shouted the man, raising his arm once more.

"CLEANSE!" he shouted with all his might. A white ball appeared within the Akuma, consuming the creature in pure light. The machine let out one more screech before finally letting go, a ball of flame erupting where it once stood. Suddenly the air was cleared, and Tyki finally came out of hiding. The pain in his left arm was almost unbearable. Blood was running down the limb from where the stitching had come undone.

"Tyki!" came a voice from outside the garden. _Crap! If she sees the mess… _Running out of the garden Tyki saw Lenalee coming towards him. "Why are you still down here? Allen thought- what happened to your arm?" she shouted, running over to examine it.

"Nothing." said Tyki , trying to look normal. "I just scraped it against one of the sharp plants."

"Sharp plant?"

"Yeah, I was trying to get something for Allen and I fell into the bush. It's nothing you should worry about." replied Tyki smiling. Lenalee seemed unsure.

"I had better get going. It's getting late." Before Lenalee could reply Tyki was off, his injured arm hanging limp by his side.

_What happened to him? _Thought Lenalee, waking into the garden. _What plant did he-_ Lenalee gasped. The garden was in ruins. Flowers once strong and healthy now lay limp in their beds. Several looked as if they had been trampled on, and many no longer had any petals. A small fire was burning in one of the bushed, having already burnt several more to the ground.

"What happened here?" she cried, surveying the damage. "Tyki!" she shouted, running after the man. "Tyki what-?"

"Don't tell anyone." Muttered Tyki, cutting off the girl's sentence. "Please, don't tell anyone." Lenalee was silent, a thousand thoughts flying in her head.

"Fine." She muttered at last, turning away from the man. "I won't ask any questions, but if something else happens, you have to let us know immediately." Tyki said nothing, only continued on to the building.

Lenalee watched in silence as the man faded from her view. Walking back to the garden, she put out the fire with a bucket of water. It was going to take a long time to explain the mess to her brother, or rather come up with an explanation. A purple object caught her gaze as she was cleaning up. Looking at the ground, Lenalee saw a Crocus flower lying flattened and charred on the ground.

(A/N) Finally! Here is Chapter 21! I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPLOADING LAST WEEK! School has just started, so I didn't get around to looking at this chapter until Sunday! Not to mention I had a HUGE writer's block, so I didn't even know what to write (or rather I had written the chapter, but I REALLY didn't like how it was written)! Thankfully my editor came to my rescue and gave me some ideas to fix this chapter. Again, I am SO SORRY for not uploading last week! I'll try to have Chapter 22 posted on time!

~AnimeGirl124~

Congrats to you who knows the meanings of the flowers! (I didn't name just random ones!)


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Road yawned as she looked up at the moonless sky. It had been over an hour since the Akuma she'd sent out left. And while the view from the balcony was nice, she preferred to stay inside. It was chilly out there, and she didn't want to put on a jacket. Instead, a small fire was lit in the fireplace to keep her warm.

_Guess it got destroyed_, she thought as he looked at the clock in her room. The hands said it was almost midnight, but the Noah Clan was still up and about. Outside she could hear Jasdevi playing yet another prank on Lero, and her father scolding them for it. She sighed. Normally, she would have joined in on the fun, but she had a job to do and she wasn't going to push it off. After all, it was her job to convince Tyki to come back.

"Road-sama." came a voice from her doorway. Turning the Noah child saw one of the servants had arrived with her late night treat. A slice of vanilla cake always improved her mood.

"Leave it there." she muttered, gesturing to the coffee table behind her. "And tell Jasdevi to be quiet. I'm going to go to sleep soon."

"Understood." Quietly, the maid bowed and left her mistress to her thoughts.

Watching the door close Road turned back to the fire. She always liked watching the flames dance in the fireplace. And it was so warm! A fire was perfect for a night like this.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me lero." Came the umbrella's reply. Judging by Lero's panting, Road could tell he had only recently escaped Jasdevi's torturing.

"What do you want? I'm tired and want to go to bed soon!"

"Earl-sama wants you to come down to the basement at once lero."

"Again? I was just down there a few hours ago."

"But-"

"Oi Lero where are you?" Called Jasdevi's faint voices from a floor down. Road could almost hear the color drain from the umbrella's face.

"B-but Road-sama, he has finished it." Road's ears perked up.

"The Earl… has finished my new toy?"

"Yes lero! The Earl wants you to-"

"Ah! There you are!" came the twins voices from the hallway.

"Ju-just get down there lero! I don't have time to tell you twice lero!" And with that the umbrella disappeared; at least Road thought so, if the angry screams of "get away from me lero!" and "the Earl will get angry if you don't leave me alone lero!" were anything to go by.

_So, the Earl has finished my new toy?_ thought Road, cutting into her slice of cake. _Interesting. It seems I'll have to visit Tyki again soon._

A few days later Allen woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door. It was a nice day outside the Black Order, and the sun was already up in the sky.

"Who is it?" groaned Allen, not wanting to get out of bed yet._ I'm trying to sleep_.

"It's me," came Tyki's voice from the other side of the door. Allen groaned once more and pulled the covers over his head.

"Go away Tyki, I am still sleeping." yawned the boy, making no move to get up. Lucky for the Ex-Noah, Allen forgot to lock his door last night.

"Now why would I do that?" replied Tyki, opening the boy's door anyway. Allen just scooted farther under the covers, trying to ignore his guest.

"What do you want?" Allen asked from under the covers.

"Well, I was hoping for a good morning kiss, but I don't think that I'm going to get that right now." Under the covers Allen blushed, but decided to pretend that he did not hear the comment. "Also, I was wondering if you would like to run to town with me really quickly." Allen felt Tyki take a seat on the end of his bed and opened a crack in the covers.

"Why do you want me to go to town with you?"

"Well, I have some errands to run, and I was wondering if you would like to tag along and go to lunch with me."

"Do I really have a choice?" muttered Allen, peeking at Tyki from under the warm sheets. The white-haired boy would hate to leave his warm crevice just to go to town. Tyki smiled and laughed at the sight.

"Well, considering that you have to be with me every minute of every day, I guess you really don't have a choice."

"Fine," sighed Allen, closing his eyes again. "I'll get up and go with you to..." Allen's eye flew open as he sat up. "Wait, did you say lunch?" Tyki nodded.

"Yes Allen, I did say lunch."

"How long have I been asleep?" asked Allen, horrified that he had missed breakfast. Jerry would be heartbroken.

"It is 11:00 am right now." replied the man as he ruffled Allen's hair. "I think it is about time that you got up. Lavi and Lenalee have been wondering where you were."

"Oh man!" said Allen, jumping out of bed. "I promised Lavi that I would train with him this morning!" Tyki laughed at Allen's face.

"It looks like you missed that by a few hours." Allen moaned and ran his hand through his hair.

"I'll make it up to him later. Now could you please get out of my room? I have to get ready."

"Hmmmmm." hummed Tyki, placing his good arm behind his head as he lay back on the bed. "I don't feel like waiting outside, so I'll wait for you here."

"Tyki!" said Allen a little bit more sternly, looking down at the man. "Please. I have to take a shower and get dressed."

"I promise I won't look." Tyki replied, pretending to cover his eyes with his right hand. Allen blushed and looked away. "There is a door to the bathroom right? Just close the door behind you, and wala, problem solved." Allen was quiet for a few minutes, pondering the information.

"Alright." the boy finally said, walking over to the dresser and pulling out some clean clothes. "You can stay. But just to make sure you won't do anything weird, I'm locking the door."

"Sounds fair enough," Tyki smiled, lying back down on the bed. "I don't mind." Allen just looked over his shoulder and sighed.

"Thank you." Allen placed his clothes on the dresser as he ran over to grab a towel, before disappearing into the bathroom. Allen quickly checked the lock on the door once more before getting undressed. As he went to put his dirty clothes in the wash basket, he spotted the silver necklace sitting on the side of the sink. Allen walked over to the sink and looked down at the pendant. It was so thoughtful of Tyki to get it for him. Judging by the look of the abalone and silver, it must not have been cheap.

Allen gave the necklace one last look before turning on the shower and getting inside. Man the water was cold! But Allen couldn't really blame the water system. It was a well-known fact that you had to let the water run for a little bit before it heated up. Usually, Allen let the shower go for a minute or two before getting inside, but Tyki was waiting for him outside, so he was forced to get in while it was still cold.

After a few minutes, the water heated up, and Allen sighed at the feeling of warm water running down his body.

"What am I going to do with him?" he muttered, scrubbing some shampoo into his hair. It felt good to take a shower first thing in the morning. Allen loved to start his day off feeling clean and refreshed. Today, however, his shower was not as enjoyable as he thought it would be. Maybe it was because he knew Tyki was sitting right outside his doorway? _Well, I can't really do anything about him right now_ he thought, rinsing his hair under the showerhead. _After all, I like him too._

"Are you done yet?" called Tyki's voice from the other side of the door, making Allen jump out of his skin.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" shouted the teen, sounding a little annoyed. "I want to actually be _clean_ when I come out of the shower!" Allen heard Tyki grumble at the comment, but decided not to say anything. After a few minutes, Allen turned off the water and wrapped the towel around his waist. As he got out of the shower however, he noticed something was wrong. Where were his clothes? Allen groaned as he realized that he had left his dry clothes outside on the dresser. Great, how stupid could he be?

"Hey Tyki!" said Allen, knocking on the door.

"Yeah?" came Tyki's bored voice from the other side of the door. "What do you need?"

"I think I left my clothes outside on the dresser. Could you bring them over here?"

"Sure," replied Tyki's voice, accompanied by the sound of rustling sheets. After a few moments, a knock came from the other side of the door. Allen opened the door to see Tyki standing outside the door, clothes in hand.

Tyki's head was looking the other way when Allen opened the door, but he turned as a warm scent caught his attention. Tyki looked down and his breath caught at the sight before him. In all the time that Tyki had known Allen, he had never seen so much as the skin on his neck before. Seeing a bare-chested Allen before stopped the man in his tracks. Allen, on the other-hand, was starting to feel uncomfortable under the gaze of the Ex-Noah.

"Well," the boy muttered shyly as he reached for the clothes. "Thank you." Suddenly, Allen felt himself being pulled from the bathroom. "Tyki!" he shouted, trying to head back to the bathroom. "What are you…?" But before he could finish his sentence, Tyki crushed his lips against Allen's, cutting off the boy's sentence. Allen felt himself being backed against the bed, onto which he fell. As Allen felt his lips being released, he opened his eyes to see Tyki staring down at him.

The boy looked so _beautiful_. Everything about him looked like it had been carved out of marble. His porcelain skin was as soft as silk, and as white as ivory. Allen's slender body had a slight build, which caused small indentations in the boys flesh. The boy's pale legs were long and slender, the hips hidden behind the towel. Tyki dragged his gaze up to the flushed face of his lover. Tyki had never seen someone as beautiful as the boy beneath him.

"Tyki?" asked Allen, trying to pull the man from his thoughts. He could tell that if things kept going, the man might never leave him alone. Quietly, Tyki reached up and traced his hand along Allen's cursed arm. Allen seemed to shiver at the touch, but turned his head to look the other way.

"What's wrong?" asked Tyki, sensing Allen's discomfort.

Allen looked startled by his voice, then looked away, blushing slightly. "I-I know you think it's ugly, so you don't have to force yourself to look at it." Tyki just blinked at Allen, before a soft smile came to rest upon his lips.

"This?" he said, reaching down and grabbing Allen's left arm. Allen closed his eyes, his blush deepening. "How could I think this is ugly?" he whispered, leaning down to kiss the arm. "I think, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life." The boy opened his eyes to look at Tyki.

"Really?" asked Allen, wondering if the man was lying. Tyki only smiled as he released the boy's arm.

"Really."

Before Allen could say anything, Tyki captured Allen's lips once more. Allen seemed to struggle at first, then gave in. What was the point in fighting now? Never before, had someone told him that his left arm was beautiful. Just hearing those words made the boy feel very happy. Finally, Tyki released Allen's lips, only to begin to leave a trail of kisses to his neck. As he reached the base, Tyki began to suck and lick at the skin. Suddenly, Allen felt the man bite into his neck, causing him to cry out.

"Sorry," he heard Tyki mutter, finally leaving his neck, but not before making sure he had marked the boy as his own. Allen whimpered as he felt the man's good hand slowly begin to explore his body. The teen let out a soft moan as he felt Tyki's hand brush against a nipple. Tyki smiled against Allen's chest and kissed the pink bud lightly, before continuing lower. As Tyki's hand reached Allen's navel, Allen's eyes snapped open, realizing that he was only wearing a towel. "Tyki!" he cried out, but was silenced as Tyki pulled up to capture Allen's lips again.

"You're old enough for this." muttered Tyki, more to himself than to Allen. Allen didn't have a chance to reply before Tyki began to kiss him again. Slowly, Tyki began to pull the towel from Allen's body.

"Allen, are you here?" came Lenalee's voice from the hall. "Lavi and I have been-" Lenalee stopped dead as her eyes took in the site presented to her.

"Lenalee!" Allen exclaimed, pushing Tyki off of him to look at his friend. _Crap, crap, crap!_ He thought at he tried to put as much distance between himself and Tyki as he possible could. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see if you were still asleep because we could not find you anywhere this morning." said the girl quietly, not taking here eyes off of Tyki. Allen had a look of horror on his face, while Tyki only seemed a little surprised. "But I guess I should have knocked first."

"Lenalee…" Started Allen, but was cut off with a wave of the girl's hand.

"I will leave you two alone." She said, looking down at the floor. She bowed once, then fled from the scene. Allen could only stare as he watched his friend leave his room.

Tyki was the one to break the silence. "Well," he said, leaning against the wall. "That was unexpected." Allen said nothing as he stared at the door. "Now," said Tyki, putting his arm on Allen. "What will you do?" Allen was silent for another moment, thinking about his options. He couldn't lie his way out of this one, unfortunately, and he could not think of an excuse as to why he had been…Allen blushed, not able to finish his thought. Allen sighed as he shrugged Tyki's arm off his shoulder.

"What else can I do?" he said, not looking at Tyki. "I will just have to talk to her."

It took Allen two full hours to find his friend. When he did, he saw that she was talking to Lavi in her room. Both of his friend's fell silent when Allen walked into the room. Allen raised his hand slightly and gave a small wave. "Hi guys," he said, trying to sound normal. "What are you talking about?"

"Well Allen," said Lavi, looking at him from Lenalee's bed. "We were talking about you and your new boyfriend."

"I know that it is none of our business, but because we are your friends, we want to talk to you about it." said Lenalee kindly, walking over to Allen.

"How long have you been going out?" Lavi prompted, propping himself up on the girls bed. Allen looked at his friends, trying to come up with an explanation, but coming up with none. Allen took a deep breath, then began.

"Well, personally, I have no idea what Tyki and I are right now."

"Then why were you two making out in your room?"

"I was not the one who started that, it was Tyki, but it you would just listen to me for a minute, then I might be able to explain some of your questions." Allen tried to explain, looking his two best friends in the eye. Lavi and Lenalee looked at each other for a moment, then shrugged and sat down.

"Alright," said Lavi, looking at Allen with his one good eye and smiling. "We're all ears." Allen glanced at his friends one more and continued.

It took Allen about a half an hour to explain everything; how Tyki had kissed him on the cheek during New Years, how Allen had admitted to liking the Ex-Noah, and how he had been dragged into all of this. When he finished, his friends were silent for a moment.

"So what you are tying to tell us, is that you are still trying to get used to your relationship with Tyki, and that you are not to sure about the relationship either?" asked Lenalee, turning to look at Allen. Allen nodded.

"Well, I guess we can't do anything then." Said Lavi, hopping to his feet. "I had been suspicious of you two ever since I saw Tyki hold looking at you on the train, but my suspicions were not confirmed until today." Lavi turned to a blushing Allen and smiled. "But try to keep in mind that Tyki _was_ a Noah before."

"I will." Said Allen, turning to Lenalee. "Now do you understand?" Lenalee looked at Allen for a minute, then sighed.

"I am happy that you have found a person that you want to be with," She said, looking at Lavi and blushing. "But as long as the person you love is Tyki, I will always be worried about you." Allen looked startled for a moment, then smiled.

"Thank you for understanding." He said, bowing low to his friends. "But I would appreciate it if you would not let anyone else know about our…relationship, at least for now."

"Understood my friend." Replied Lavi, slapping Allen on the back. "We won't tell a soul, right Lenalee?" Lavi turned to Lenalee, waiting for her answer.

"I promise not to tell anyone if you don't want me to." She said, smiling at both boys.

"Thank you." Said Allen, giving his friends a hug. Lavi and Lenalee looked startled for a moment, then hugged the boy back. Allen smiled, feeling relieved that his friends understood his situation "Now," He said, releasing both of them. "I have to talk to Tyki about this. I will see you two at dinner tonight, ok?" Allen headed towards the door, then stopped. "Oh, and I am sorry about today Lavi." He said over his shoulder. "I overslept. Could we reschedule for tomorrow morning?" Lavi looked at Allen and smiled.

"Sure." Allen smiled back at his friend before leaving the room, headed for his own.

(A/N) And here is Chapter 22! And for once I made it on time! Hope you liked the small smut scene I put in there (this story is after all rated T). Read and Review Please!


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The next few days at the Order were seemed to be very boring and uneventful. At least, to the normal person. For Allen however, life was a living hell. No matter what he did, that damn red mark kept showing up on his neck. He tried everything he could think of to conceal it; he even went as far as to ask Lenalee for some creams and make-up! But nothing seemed to work. It was a miracle that no one had stopped to ask him about it…yet. And it didn't help that Tyki took the liberty of "renewing" the mark as soon as it started to fade. "You belong to me now Allen, and no one else." Allen snorted. _You're mine_ his arse! He told Tyki he didn't want anyone to know about their relationship, yet the man kept making that difficult.

_Damn that Tyki! _thought Allen as he made his way to the dinning hall. If he didn't figure out how to deal with this soon…

"Hey Allen! Allen? Oi Allen!" Allen stopped to see Lavi waving at him from down the hall.

"What do you want Lavi?" sighed Allen, walking over to the redhead.

"Hey what's with the somber mood? You're usually never rude!"

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean."

"So? What's going on?"

"Its just Tyki. He keeps making things difficult for me and it's starting to become a little bothersome. I've been dodging him all morning."

"Still trying to make your relation public?" Lavi grinned as he leaned against the wall.

"Well, not exactly. Tyki doesn't do anything when most people are around, but he's still insistent on making sure that mark on my neck never fades. If he doesn't stop this soon I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't keep wearing high-necked shirts forever."

"Have you tried asking him to stop?"

"Yeah, but he won't listen." His friend chuckled.

"It's not funny! Right now the mark is _finally_ starting to go away and he knows that, so he's been looking for me everywhere!"

"Man you seem to be having a bad day! Tell you what; I have a plan that might cheer you up. Want to hear it?" Allen stomach did a flip.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to be a bad idea?"

"Don't know. I think its genius!" Leaning over, Lavi whispered his idea into Allen ear.

"NO! No way Lavi! If we were to do that we'll be killed!"

"Aw come on! It'll be fun!"

"No! When he finds out about it he'll hunt us down and kill us! No!"

"Allen, please? If you do this with me I'll pay you back! I promise!" Allen didn't seem like he was going to budge.

"And besides if you come with me, it'll be the last place Tyki will look for you." Allen faultered.

"Do I really have a choice in the matter?" 

"Nope."

"Fine, I'll help you. But first I want to eat."

"Awesome! I'll see you at the room in an a bit!"

"Why is Kanda even asleep at this hour? I thought he would've been up meditating right now." whispered Allen as the two got close to the samurai's door.

"Kanda had a hard mission yesterday remember? He had to stay up for seven days straight. He's exhausted!"

"But I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Oh don't worry! I just want to see his expression when he wakes up ok? We can put it back later tonight. You stay on the lookout while I go get it and set up the golem." And with that, Lavi disappeared into Kanda's room. A few moments later he emerged, carrying the item of his interest.

"How the heck did you manage to not wake him up?" Allen hissed as he dashed down the hall. "He's a really light sleeper! A bug lands on the floor and he wakes up!"

"I don't know, just run!"

Miraculously, the pair managed to get all the way to the grounds of the Oder without being seen.

"Where's the hole?" asked Allen, glancing behind him. If Kanda found them before they got back upstairs, they were dead.

"Follow me! It's a way's over there." True to his word, there was a hole waiting right under a tree. Gently, the two friends lowered their prize into the ground, taking care to cover the object gently with dirt.

"That should do it." Said Lavi, straightening up and looking around. "I set up the golem in Yu's room, so now all we have to do is wait."

"You're really looking forward to Kanda's reaction aren't you."

"Hey, it's not every day Kanda gets up and realizes his sword isn't there. Come on let get back before he wakes up."

"Ok," Said Lavi, leaning on the shovel and trying not to fall asleep. "Maybe stealing Kanda's sword was not such a great idea."

"Why didn't you realized that _before_ you stole the damn thing?" asked Allen, annoyed that he had been pulled into Lavi's punishment.

It was a few hours later when all hell broke loose. Allen, Lavi, and Lenalee, were enjoying a nice dinner, when they had heard Kanda's approach.

**Flashback **

"_YOU DAMN RABBIT! WHERE ARE YOU? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"_

"_What did you two do now?" sighed Lenalee, looking exhausted._

_Lavi jumped out if his seat. "RUN!" Allen didn't need to be told twice._

"_I told you this was a bad idea!" he yelled as he hade his way to the exit. Sadly, the white-haired boy arrived too late. Kanda was already waiting for them at the entrance of the room._

"_WHERE IS MUGEN!" The fire in Kanda's eyes could have melted steel. In his hand was not Mugen, but a regular samurai sword. Allen's blood drained from his face. He had no idea Kanda kept a spare._

"_You guys stole Mugen! Are you guys crazy!" came Lenalee's shout from across the room._

"_I'm sorry it was so tempting! Kanda was asleep and-"_

"_Give, Mugen, BACK!" And with that, the samurai charged._

"_Crown clown!" shouted Allen, pulling out his own sword. The clash of metal against metal was almost unbearable. Lavi seized the moment and pulled out his hammer._

"_Big hammer, little hammer, grow, grow, grow!" In the blink of an eye, Kanda released Allen's sword to face his new enemy. The hammer collided with Kanda's sword and sent the blue-haired teen flying. A large cloud of dust was created as the samurai's body collided with the wall._

"_Not again!" came Jerry's voice from the dining window. "Do you know how long it took to fix the damage Lavi-san and Komui-san caused?"_

""_Be careful guys!" Now Lenalee sounded worried. "Don't hurt-"_

"_No way he still can get up!" Trued to Lavi's word, Kanda was up on his feet again, sword still intact. In the blink of an eye, Kanda had the two teens caught by the collar of their shirts._

"_I'll ask one more time. Where. Is. Mugen?"_

"_I-it's buried underneath a tree on the grounds, we swear!" Stuttered Lavi, finally realizing that playtime was over. "We can take you there right now!"_

**End Flashback**

Allen yawned as his shovel hit the ground. The only problem was, Lavi had forgotten to mark the tree the sword was under, so now both boys were stuck digging up every tree in the grounds in search of Kanda's sword. Lavi had tried to make Lenalee help them, but she refused, saying that they deserved to be punished. Allen had also given up dodging Tyki, but the man had been too busy training with Eaze to help him. So now it was just the two of them, working at two thirty in the morning. Kanda had gone long ago, but had left a Golem to record their punishment. If either of them tried to go to bed before the sword was found, there would be hell to pay in the morning. Lenalee had brought them diner around eight, but they were beginning to get hungry again.

"It was still funny to see Kanda wake up though and see his Innocence weapon was gone." said Lavi, shoveling up another scoop of dirt.

"True. But was it worth it? No."

"You have to admit it was funny while it lasted though Allen." His friend yawned, walking over to yet another tree. "But man why does Yu have to be so mean? It's not that big of a deal. It's just a stupid sword!"

"Yeah, but if we don't find it, we'll never get to sleep." replied the younger teen as he rubbed his eyes. "Anyway, let's just keep digging."

Looking up as the sky Allen let his mind wonder. He remembered when Tyki had taken him out to go stargazing a few days ago. Allen was angry at first, but regretted his feeling when he saw the stars. Tyki had pointed out several constellations, and they even saw a shooting star. Thinking about the man made Allen feel bad. He shouldn't have dodged him all day like that. But he really didn't want to deal with the man this morning, so he really didn't think much of it at the time. He would have to apologize in the morning.

The boys found Kanda's sword around three in the morning under an oak tree. By that point, Allen and Lavi looked like walking zombies. Both boys then trudged back to Kanda's room to show him that they had found the sword. Kanda was angry with them for waking him up, but calmed down a little when he saw his sword. He threatened Allen and Lavi that he would kill them the next time they tried something like that, then went back to sleep.

Allen trudged back to his room, feeling exhausted. Never again, would he let Lavi talk him into stealing Kanda's stuff, particularly his most prized possession. Allen opened his room, ready to flop down on the bed, with or without pajamas.

"So you finally found Kanda's sword?" Came a voice from inside his room. Allen froze.

"Please Tyki, not again." He heard the man chuckle from his bed.

"Why not? You don't seem to have a problem with it when we're here." Allen face turned bright red.

"'t would just be _really_ helpful if you stopped this. I know I belong to you, but why do you feel the need to try and show the fact off to everyone in the Order? Do you have any idea how hard it is to conceal what's on my neck?"

Tyki paused. "Yeah I've been thinking about that, and I think I've come up with a solution." Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out a roll of medical tape and tossed it to the boy. Allen caught it in one hand. "I swiped it when they removed the stitches and sling." Allen looked down at the roll of bandage. It certainly would conceal the bruise, but he'd have to come up with a reason for wearing it. But then again it was better than the alternative.

"Alright, I'll guess this will suffice, although it would be easier if you would just stop." Tyki shook his head.

"Sorry Allen but I'm not backing down on this one."

"Yeah I know, I'd just thought I'd ask. Now, why in the world are you still up at this hour. It's three in the morning!"

Tyki laughed. "I was just making sure you got back before sunrise."

Allen smiled. "Don't worry, I knew we'd find the sword eventually."

"Out of curiosity why did you even steal his sword in the first place? You knew that stick in the mud would find out eventually."

"I have no idea. Anyway, would you mind getting off my bed? I'm kind of tired and want to go to sleep." Slowly a grin seemed to spread itself across Tyki's face.

"Well, since I have been waiting here for you since nine this evening-"

"Nine o'clock!"

"I was thinking of sleeping here for the night." Allen froze, a panic seeming to come over him.

"You want to…sleep on the couch?" Tyki just chuckled again.

"No, I was planning on sleeping with you in your bed." Allen face once again turned bright red. "I promise I won't do anything. I just want to sleep with you, really." Allen was silent for a few moments.

"A-alright." Allen finally whispered. "I-I've got to get dressed."

"Take you time. I'll be waiting here." True to his word, when Allen emerged from his bathroom he found Tyki already tucked into his bed. His blush deepening, Allen crawled in next to the man. This was so awkward! How was he supposed to sleep with _him_ in his bed! Eaze was one thing, but Tyki was _totally_ different.

"Just relax Allen." yawned Tyki, sensing the boy's discomfort. "I promised I wouldn't do anything and I'm going to stick by that promise."

"I-it's just that, I'm not used too-" Suddenly Allen felt an arm snake around his waste. Allen's heart seemed to stop as Tyki pulled the boy towards him.

"Just relax." Allen couldn't move. This was so weird! How was he supposed to-. Then Allen felt something against his clothes. Shocked, Allen realized he could feel Tyki's heart, beating against his back. It was a slow and steady beat. Closing his eyes, Allen realized that his own heart, was beating in time with Tyki's. He was so…warm. He was…human, just like he was. Snuggling closer, Allen finally was able to relax.

"Goodnight Allen." whispered Tyki, giving Allen's waist a light squeeze.

"Goodnight, Tyki."

Finally! I'm done with Chapter 23! I'm so sorry for mot posting a chapter last week! Right now I'm in the middle of a bunch of stuff with school so I am really busy! Just a heads up because of this I might miss a week in between chapters. However, I will NEVER miss more than one week at a time. If I don't post a chapter one week, then you can be 100% sure I will next week. Anyway, enjoy!

Next Chapter: THE STORY ACTUALLY MOVES ON!

~AnimeGirl124~


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Tyki woke up the next morning feeling very confused. Where was he? This wasn't his room. Then the memories of last night returned and he smiled. He had waited in Allen's room for the boy to get back, and then the two had gone to bed in the boy's room. Now he remembered.

Yawning, Tyki rolled over on his side, reaching to pull Allen closer to him. When his hand only passed through air Tyki stopped. Opening his eyes Tyki turned to the side to see Allen wasn't there. Instead was a small note.

_Tyki,_

_I've just gone to get us some breakfast. I'll be back before you know it._

_Allen_

Reading over the message Tyki sighed. Somehow he wasn't surprised that Allen had just left him. The boy was still getting used to the idea of them being together, and needed his space. And Tyki would give it to him. Sure, he was a bit forward on occasion, but he didn't push it. He knew that Allen was going through a hard time, and if it meant enduring a few hard/lonely moments for him, he would not complain. The last thing Tyki wanted to do was scare the boy away.

The man didn't mind waiting for the boy to come around, but he still wished he had been able to wake up to Allen's sleeping form. The boy was so cute snuggling up against him last night. Their bodies fit together so perfectly, and their hearts seemed to beat as one.

"Tyki?" came a voice form behind him. _Speak of the devil and he shall appear_. Tyki turned to see Allen standing in the doorway, caring a small tray of food in his hands. "Good you're awake. I wasn't sure if you were still sleeping."

"No, I'm awake, but what time did you get up?"

"I got up about an hour ago and ate breakfast with our friends. Anyway, I brought you some waffles and fruit from the cafeteria." Getting up from the bed Tyki walked over to the boy, a soft smile on his face. Allen hadn't brought him breakfast since he had gotten out of his cell. Taking the tray from the boy's hands Tyki leaned down and planted a small kiss on the boy's head.

"Thank you." the man whispered. Allen's face turned pink.

"Y-your welcome."

Tyki ate his meal in silence, his eyes trailing over the body of his lover. Allen seemed to be deep in thought, even forgetting to sit down. Looking at Allen's neck Tyki saw he was indeed wearing the neck bandage he had given him last night. Hanging over it as always was the white swan. He wondered what the boy was thinking about.

After he was finished, Allen picked up Tyki's plate and took it to the bathroom to wash off. Tyki just sat at the table and smiled at the boy, continuing his thoughts. Before arriving at the Order, Tyki had hated the boy more than anything else in the world, even more than the Millennium Earl's dirty work. Now, Allen was simply the white-haired Exorcist that he loved more than anything else. Allen calling his named finally pulled Tyki from his thoughts.

"Sorry," said the man as he turned to the boy. "I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

"I said that I have some stuff to do so you won't be seeing me for the rest of the day."

"What? Where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere, but I'm going to be busy so I can't really hang out with you today. Try not to look for me, because I do not want to be found. Lenalee will bring you lunch later today."

"Wait, what?" cried Tyki, still struggling to process the information. "Why won't I see you the rest of the day? And why am I not allowed to look for you? Was it something I did? What are you going to be doing?" Allen stopped, his back facing the man. Turning around, Allen walked over and placed a small kiss on the man's cheek. Tyki was stunned. Smiling, Allen took hold of the man's hand, his face now completely red.

"Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong." Tyki could tell it took every ounce of Allen's concentration not to back down. "I-I really enjoyed sleeping with you last night. I mean it."

"But where are you going? What are you going to be doing?" Gently, Allen placed a finger over the man's mouth.

"It's a secret." Tyki just stared as he watched Allen disappear into the hallway.

Tyki spent the rest of the day wondering around Headquarters. Despite what Allen had said, Tyki was determined to find out what was going on. Why couldn't he see Allen today? And why was no one letting him anywhere near the cafeteria?

He first went to the library to see if he could ask Lavi what was going on. To Tyki's disappointment the redhead kept silent, saying he didn't know anything. Tyki then went outside for a smoke; all the while looking for someone to tell him what was going on. Lenalee brought lunch for him around noon, looking a little anxious. Tyki tried to ask her where Allen was, but the girl disappeared as soon as Tyki was done with his food. Tyki was beginning to get annoyed. Obviously, everyone was hiding something form him, but he could not figure out what. Even Eaze was acting strange, disappearing as soon as he saw him in the hallway. Tyki was in his room when Lavi finally came for him.

"You need to go to the Dining Hall right away!" The redhead shouted in Tyki's doorway. Tyki turned to see Lavi run by his room and shout him the message.

"Wait Lavi!" Tyki tried to catch up, but the teenager was to fast and got away from the man very easily. Angry, Tyki trudged to the Dining Hall, all the while trying to figure out what everyone was hiding from him, and where for God's sake, was Allen?

_Why does everyone feel the need to hide stuff from me?_ Tyki wondered, as he turned around, headed for the Dining Hall. _They couldn't have found out about Road's visits, could they?_ Tyki hung his head as he rounded the corner to the cafeteria.

"SURPRISE!" shouted a chorus of people. Tyki looked around in utter disbelief. The whole Dining Hall was decked out with decorations. On the tables sat piles of delicious-smelling food, and almost everyone living at Headquarters was there. From the ceiling hung a giant banner reading: _Welcome Home, Tyki_, in big letters. Tyki turned to see Lenalee and Allen heading towards him.

"What is all of this?" Tyki asked Allen as he approached him.

"What do you think it is? It's your welcome party!" He replied, grinning.

"My…welcome party?" asked Tyki, then he remembered.

"_Whenever a new Exorcist joins the Black Order, we welcome them with a big party."_ Allen had told him.

"This is for you Tyki." Lenalee said, handing him a coffee cup. Tyki took the cup and looked at his name, printed near the bottom of the handle. "This signifies that you are officially one of us." announced the girl, smiling at the Ex-Noah. "This is some tea for you to drink while we celebrate you becoming one of us." Tyki looked around the room at his new comrades with tears in his eyes.

"Welcome Home, Tyki!" toasted Komui as he raised his cup.

"Welcome Home!" shouted the rest of the room. Tyki smiled as he spotted Eaze heading towards him.

"Welcome Home, Tyki." said the boy, giving Tyki a big hug. Tyki hugged the child back, feeling happier than he could have ever imagined.

"Thank you, my friends." Tyki looked out at the multitude of people in the room. "I am home."

The party lasted for a good two hours, full of conversation and joy. Jerry had prepared lots of delicious dishes, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Tyki had been accepted among the Exorcists. Tyki never thought that he could feel as happy as he was then. What was more, after everyone had eaten, the Dinning Room was transformed into a dance floor. Reever had brought in a record player from the Science Department, and played some relaxing classical music to dance to. Lenalee and Lavi were the first couple to enter the floor, and were followed by Miranda and Krory. Soon, everyone was dancing to the relaxing music.

"Allen," asked Tyki, holding out his hand to the boy, who was busy cleaning up the dishes. "Will you dance with me?" Allen turned to the man and blushed.

"I'd rather not," he replied, returning to his work. "I have things to do, and I don't know how to dance anyway." Tyki just smiled and grabbed hold of the boy's hand.

"Then I will teach you." He replied, pulling the boy on to the dance floor. "Besides," Tyki whispered in his ear "you still didn't tell me why I couldn't see you today. You owe me one." Allen's blushed deepened as he looked around. Luckily, no one had spotted them. "Here." Instructed Tyki, placing the boy's arm on his shoulder. "Hold on to my shoulder and hand and I will lead." Allen only nodded, praying that no one would look over at them. He looked over to see Lavi and Lenalee dancing on the other side of the room. He turned back to Tyki when he felt the man wind his arm around his waist.

"Ballroom dancing is quite easy to learn. Just follow me, and you won't fail." Allen nodded, too embarrassed to look up. "I'm going to teach you the most simple dance, so please listen to me. When I take a step forward with my right leg, you step back with your left. When I move over to the side, you follow. It's really simple."

With his comment, Tyki began to dance. Allen struggled to keep up at first, but eventually got the hand of it. Soon, they were both dancing gracefully across the dance floor. After the song ended, Tyki leaned down to give Allen a light kiss on the cheek. Allen responded by blushing and turning away. It was a miracle that no one had seen them together. Still, Allen had enjoyed the dance.

After the party was over, Allen escorted Tyki back to his room, all the while saying how happy he was that Tyki had been accepted into the Order.

"I am very happy that we could have your welcome party this soon!" said Allen, walking next to the man. "I thought it was going to be a few weeks until we could get everyone together like that!"

"I assume that this is what everyone was hiding from me today?" Allen nodded.

"I was out helping decorate the Dinning Hall, so that's why you didn't see me all day." Tyki ruffled the boy's hair as they arrived at Tyki's room. "Well, I will see you tomorrow." Allen was stopped when Tyki reached out and grabbed the boy by the wrist, turning him to face the man.

"Thank you." whispered Tyki, looking down at the small boy. "Thank you for the party, and for dancing with me tonight." Tyki wrapped his arms around Allen's waist as he leaned down to kiss the boy's pale lips. Allen seemed shocked at first, then smiled as he returned the kiss, arms coming up around Tyki's neck. Tyki's hand came up to cup Allen cheek while he turned his head to deepen the kiss. After a minute Tyki released the boy, smiling down at the white-haired Exorcist.

"I love you, Allen Walker." Tyki said, pulling the boy close. Allen blushed as he hugged the man back.

"I like you too, Tyki." He said, giving Tyki a small peck on the cheek. Tyki smiled down at the boy in his arms. He loved the boy so much, and hoped that Allen felt the same way.

"However, I need to go to bed." Allen yawned and released his hold on the man. "I will see you in the morning ok?" Tyki laughed softly as he gave the boy one last kiss.

"Ok, I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight!" said Allen, walking towards his room.

"Goodnight Allen!" Tyki called back, watching the boy until he disappeared into his room. Tyki smiled as he entered his room, already beginning to feel sleepy.

"Well, well, Tyki I had no idea you liked Allen that way," slithered a voice from his bed. Tyki froze. _Crap!_

"What _have_ you been up to with Allen?" Road asked, eying him creepily. Tyki said nothing as his niece confronted him. This could not be happening to him.

"Why are you here?" He muttered, eyes hidden behind his hair. "I thought I had made it clear that I didn't want to go with you. What more do I have to do to prove that to you?" Road just laughed as she got up from her seat.

"Why don't we talk over here?" She said, her eyes full of mischief. "We wouldn't want your little exorcist friends to hear us now would you? _Especially_ not your _boyfriend!_"

"Shut up!" shouted Tyki, arm flying up to release his Innocence. He was too slow. In less than two seconds Road had him pinned against the wall of his room, locking the door behind her. She turned to Tyki and shook her head slowly.

"Now, now." She said, shaking her head. "I thought we had agreed that these meetings would be peaceful?" Tyki could only clench his fist, for his face was against the wall and he could not move. Suddenly, he felt something close around his hand, and was released. He looked down to see that his niece had slipped a black bracelet onto each of his wrists, but they were not linked together, which confused Tyki for a moment. Tyki smiled as he looked at his niece.

"You really thing this is enough to restrain me?" He asked, looking Road in the eyes. Road just smirked as she walked over to the grandfather clock against the wall.

"Yes."

"Well, you are wrong!" Tyki's hand flew up once again. "Innocence, activate!" he shouted. Nothing happened. Tyki looked at his hand, a nervous feeling settling over him. "Innocence!" he repeated, "Activate!" But the ring remained motionless. "Innocence-"

The room erupted in laughter, cutting off his sentence. Tyki turned to see Road clutching her sides as she rolled around on the ground, laughing. "What did you do to me?" he asked, arm coming up to slap his niece. Road stood up and wiped a tear from her eye, snapping her fingers. Suddenly, Tyki was torn back to the wall by an invisible force. His body his the wall with a loud thud. Tyki moved to hit his niece again, but found that the bracelets had attached themselves to the wall.

"Do you like my new toy?" she asked, sides still contracting from her silent laughter. "The Earl gave them to me a few days ago! Aren't they neat?" Tyki pulled with all his might, but his fight was in vain. "The cuffs restrain everything they touch." Road approached her uncle, grabbing his face and making him look at her. "As well as Innocence." Tyki froze, confusion crossing his face.

"Now, as long as you are like that, I have some things I want to tell you." Road released his face and went to sit on his bead. "From what I have seen, you have become quite close with the Exorcist's that are here, am I correct?" Tyki was silent. "They even threw you a party to celebrate you becoming one of them." She turned to look at her uncle again. "And I know that you have a _very_ interesting relationship with Allen Walker." She turned to look up at the ceiling and frowned. "It's too bad to. He was really cute!"

"Shut up!" shouted Tyki, trying to pull away from the wall. Road just wagged her finger at him and clicked her tongue.

"Anyway, I have an offer that I am supposed to tell you about."

"Well, if you are going to offer me a choice then forget it!" said Tyki. "I'm not going to go with you, no matter what you say."

"Oh, I it would be wiser for you to hear me out if you do not wish to see your friends be killed." Tyki froze, fear seizing his heart.

"What did you say?" Road laughed as she returned to sit on the couch.

"Here is your choice, Tyki. Either bring the Earl all of the Innocence from here, or watch your lover and all of your friends die." Tyki froze, speechless. Road snapped her finger again, and suddenly the bracelets restraining Tyki disappeared. Tyki fell to his hands and knees, unable to catch himself properly. "You have one week to make up your mind. If I do not hear from you before then, my new toys will take the liberty of attaching themselves to the Exorcist's weapons, and our Akuma will wipe them off the face of this pitiful planet."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"_No Allen. It wasn't the Earl. It was you."_

Allen's eyes snapped open, rolling around to look at his room. Judging from the lighting of his bedroom, the sun was just beginning to rise. Looking over Allen saw the clock read six fifteen. His breath was heavy and his heart was still pounding.

Flopping back down on the bed Allen closed his eyes. The nightmare was getting worse and worse. This was the 3rd time he had woken up from it this week! His heart still hadn't calmed down. He could hear it pound against the inside of his chest. To his surprise the sound was getting louder.

_Pound pound pound_ "Allen!" With a start the boy realized it wasn't his heart. It was the door! The knocking came again as Allen rolled out of bed. _Who could be knocking at this hour?_ wondered Allen as he mopped to the door. Tyki's welcome party had lasted pretty late, and he would have thought everyone would be sleeping in. Apparently, he was wrong. Yawning, Allen opened the door to see none other than Krory standing in his doorway.

"Krory! What're you doing here at this hour? It's not even- Krory what happened!" Taking a good look at the man Allen was awake immediately. Then man looked as if he had just killed someone.

"Allen!" Krory shouted as he pulled the boy into the hallway. "It's terrible! No matter where I look, I just can't find him!"

"Who?" asked Allen. "Who can't you find?"

"Eaze! I've lost Eaze!"

"What? How can you _lose_ a person?" Krory said nothing as hugged the boy and began to cry.

"Oh Allen!" he sobbed as he blew his nose on Allen shirt. "What should I do? I can't find him anywhere!"

"Ewww! Gross Krory!" shouted Allen, prying the man from his ruined shirt. But Krory refused to budge, just hugging the boy harder. Allen sighed as he looked down at his friend. "Just tell me what happened Krory." The man tried to stop crying as he explained the situation.

"Well, Eaze asked me to play a game with him earlier today, and now I can't find him!"

"A game?" asked Allen. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this. "What game did you play?"

"I can't remember the name, but he said that I should just count to 100 with my eyes closed. So I did, and when I opened my eyes, he was gone." sniffed the vampire Exorcist. Allen sighed, kneeling down to look at the man in front of him.

"Krory, by any chance was this game called hide and go seek?"

"Yes!" replied Krory. "That was what it was called." _I knew it_

"Krory, the point of hide and go seek is one person hides and the other tries to find them." Said Allen, trying not to get cross with his friend.

"So I didn't lose Eaze?" asked Krory, his eyes brightening. Allen shook his head as he helped the man to his knees.

"Yeah, you didn't lose him, he is just hiding from you because that's what you're supposed to do." Allen looked down at is shirt and sighed. He was definitely going to need a new one.

"I feel so bad," said Krory, rubbing his eyes. "I should have known what seek and hide was."

"It's hide and go seek." corrected Allen, heading back into his room.

"Wait Allen!" shouted Krory. "You need to help me find him! I have no idea where he is! Don't leave me alone to find him!"

"I'm not going to leave you alone," replied the boy, taking his shirt off. "I just need to change." Krory grimaced.

"Sorry. I'll get you a new shirt when we're out next time." Allen looked over to see his friend on the verge of tears again, and he felt a pang of sympathy for the man. Even though he was 26, Krory still had a lot to learn about the world. It wasn't his fault that he had been locked up in that castle for most of his life! Still, he would have expected the man to at least know what hide and go seek was.

"I will be just a minute." Said the boy, slipping into his room.

_I'll have to ask Lenalee and Lavi if they have seen Eaze,_ thought Allen as he changed. _Maybe I can get Tyki to help us look for him._ _I'm surprised he's not up yet._ It was a well-known fact by now that Tyki woke Allen up at 9 every morning to go and eat breakfast with their friends, and yet today, Tyki had not stopped by at all. Allen still had a bad feeling that something was up.

"Are you ready Allen?" came Krory's voice from outside his bathroom.

"Yeah!" he shouted back. "Just give me a minute." The boy looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze resting on the swan necklace that rested on hit collarbone. Allen gave it one final touch before turning around and heading out to hunt for Eaze.

"Hey Tyki!" shouted Allen, pounding on the man's door. "It's me, Allen!" The room was silent form the other side of the door.

"Oi Tyki!" yelled Lavi, "Come on out! It's already eleven in the morning!" Still, not a noise could be heard from the room.

After Allen had changed, him and Krory had gone out to search for the boy. After about a half an hour the two friends had hooked up with Lavi and Lenalee and were still looking for the child.

"Maybe Tyki is not here." said Lenalee, as she turned to face Allen.

"No, that can't be possible. Krory and I came here earlier today to ask him to look for Eaze with us, but he didn't answer his door. We thought that he must be down at breakfast, so we went down to the cafeteria to look for him. However, he wasn't there. That was when we saw you guys and asked if you could help look for him."

"Allen, that was over an hour ago," said Lenalee, putting her hand on his shoulder. "He could have woken up by then and gone somewhere else."

"No, I don't think so. When I passed by here again a few minutes ago, I could have sworn I heard Tyki in his room." Allen paused, then continued. "I have the feeling that something is wrong."

"Maybe he is still tired." suggested Krory, feeling uncomfortable that he was being left out of the conversation.

"Tyki? Still asleep?" said Lavi, looking at the vampire with his one good eye. "No, as long as I have known the man, which hasn't been very long but whatever, I've never seen him sleep in past 9:30."

"Tyki." yelled Lenalee, pounding on the door. "Is something wrong?" Still, there was silence.

"Tyki." Said Lavi, approaching the door. "If you don't get out here in ten seconds, I am going to pick the lock." There was silence for a few more seconds, then:

"What do you guys want?" Allen almost sighed in relief at hearing the man's voice. So he was in there after all. That was both a good thing and a bad thing.

"Tyki, we need your help. Eaze is missing and we can't find him." Said Allen, walking up to the door. "You have known Eaze the longest, and we thought we could ask you to help us because you are the most likely to know where the boy is."

"Eaze is missing?" Asked Tyki from the other side of the door.

"I am so sorry Tyki!" said Krory, trying to open the door. "Eaze and I were going to play a game of seek and hide-"

"Hide and go seek!" corrected Lavi.

"And we can't find him anywhere." finished Lenalee. Everyone turned to the door, waiting for an answer. Suddenly, they heard a noise come from inside the room. After a few minutes, Tyki emerged from his room. Allen almost gasped as he saw Tyki's appearance. The man looked as if he was being tormented! Tyki had giant bags under his eyes, which where red from not sleeping.

"Tyki?" asked Allen, his hand reaching up to touch the man's cheek. "Are you ok? You don't look so well." Tyki caught Allen's arm before it could come in contact with his skin.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Said the man, not looking at the boy. "I just didn't sleep much last night. Now," he turned to the rest of his friends. "Where have you already looked?"

"We have already checked every room on the first five floors of this place." Replied Lenalee, trying to ignore Tyki's appearance.

"But we still haven't found him and we started this manhunt over an hour ago!" said Lavi, turning to his friend.

"Do you have any idea where he is?" asked Allen.

"Well, if what you say is true, then I have no clue where Eaze is." replied Tyki, avoiding Allen's gaze. "All I can do now is help you look for him."

"That would be great." Said Lenalee. "Come on you guys. We can stop for lunch first, then continue our search."

"Now that sounds like a plan!" said Lavi, turning toward the stairs. "I am starving!" Allen looked over at Tyki once again, trying not to worry about his friend. It was only then that he noticed the dry tear marks that were on the man's face. But before he could say something about it, Tyki had tuned away from him and was heading towards the stairs to eat lunch.

Much to Allen's surprise, it took the rest of the day to find Eaze. Even with all of them looking in deferent places, it took the group five hours to find the boy. They found the seven-year-old hiding in the lounge in a cabinet.

"It took you long enough!" said Eaze, jumping down from his hiding place. "I have been up there for ages!"

"Eaze." Said Tyki, looking the boy in the eye. "If you are going to play hide and seek here, _please_ set up boundaries of where you are going to be. This place is huge and there are way to many places to hide."

"Awwwww!" Pouted Eaze, folding his arms. "It's more fun without boundaries!"

"Maybe for the person hiding, but not for the person doing the seeking." Said Lenalee. "You disappeared from the world for 5 hours! We were really worried about you!" Eaze replied by sticking his tongue out at her.

"Allen will side with me right?" said the boy, running over to Allen. Allen just shook his head as he looked down at his friend.

"Sorry Eaze but I'm going to have to side with Lenalee this time." Said Allen. "Try to be a little bit more considerate of other people when you play."

"Fine!" Said Eaze, giving up. "I'll play with boundaries next time! Anyway, what time is it? I'm starving!"

"It's 5:00." Said Lavi, looking over at the Grandfather clock on the opposite wall. "We are just in time for dinner."

"Yay!" shouted Eaze, grabbing Allen's hand. "Let's go eat!" Allen looked at the boy and signed. He would punish the kid later, but for now, he was hungry.

"Well, if you do not need my help anymore," Said Tyki, turning to leave. "I have to get going."

"Wait up Tyki!" said Lenalee. "Aren't you going to eat with us?" Tyki stopped in his tracks, back turned to the group.

"I…want to be by myself for a little while." replied Tyki, not looking at his friends. "Sorry." Allen frowned he watched the man's figure turn the corner and disappear from view. Yes, something was definitely up, but Tyki refused to talk about it. Whenever Allen tried to hold Tyki's hand, Tyki just walked in the opposite direction, or suddenly became interested in something else. It was the same when Allen tried to even talk to the man.

"Allen, is something wrong?" asked Eaze, running up to the older boy. Allen tore his gaze from the corner Tyki had just disappeared behind and looked at the boy at his feet.

"No," he said, smiling. "Nothing's wrong. Let's go eat!"

"Yay!" said the boy, pulling Allen to the stairs. Allen threw one last glance in Tyki's direction, before joining his friends in the dinning room.

(A/N) Ok I know this chapter isn't the best, but I ill try to fix it when I come home form school. Until then enjoy!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The whistle of the train sounded throughout the station, announcing its arrival to the platform. Allen woke with a start. He had been dreaming again. Fortunately however, he had woken before the bad parts began.

"Exorcist-sama" came a voice from behind a door. Rubbing his eyes Allen turned his head towards the sound. A few moments later his train compartment opened, revealing his finder and his baggage.

"Oh! I'm sorry for waking you Excorsist-sama, but we've arrived back in London and need to get off the train."

"London? We're back already?" Six hours couldn't have gone by that quickly. It felt as though Allen hadn't even slept an hour.

"Yes sir, and we need to get off before the train departs again." Allen yawned and nodded. As the two stepped onto the platform, the train's whistle rang out again. Silently, the two watched the train pull away from the station, headed towards its next destination.

It had been a whole week since Allen had left for Sweden. Apparently, an innocence shard had been detected there, and he and a finder had been ordered to retrieve it. The mission had been simple enough, and the two had just arrived in England, Innocence shard tucked safely in Allen's pocket. It was strange though. This mission had been Allen's first mission alone (excluding the finder of course) and Allen had had a hard time getting used to the idea. The news had certainly come as a shock to his friends, as he had to leave the same day he found out about his mission. It had been hard to leave Tyki behind.

Thinking about the man caused a shroud of worry to envelop the boy. Tyki hadn't even come out so wish Allen luck on his first mission alone. Something had definitely been bothering him, and Allen didn't even have the time to ask him what it was. Allen could only pray that Tyki would be better by the time he got back.

"Allen!" came a voice from in front of him, cutting of all train of thought. Squinting his eyes Allen could see Lavi and Lenalee running over to him. He hadn't even realized they had arrived back home. When did they even get on the carriage?

"Hi guys!" he greeted, trying to sound happy. "How-"

"Allen, you've got to come with us NOW" said Lenalee, cutting off Allen's sentence.

"What, why?"

"Something is wrong with Tyki." Allen heart froze.

"What happened? Was there another attack on Headquarters? Did he get hurt?"

"No everything's fine at home, but Tyki hasn't left his room since you left. No matter what we do, he just won't come out!"

"Yeah, he won't even come out to eat. If it wasn't for us brining him food everyday, Tyki would've starved." Said Lavi. "Though usually the food comes back uneaten."

"Have you told Komui about this?"

"Yeah but he just thinks Tyki's sick or something. He does have the right to privacy after all. Anyway can you just come with us? Lenalee thinks he might come out to see you."

"I have to deliver this Innocence shard, but I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Tyki!" called Allen, knocking on the door to the exorcist's room. "I know you are in there! Come out! I want to talk to you!" There was no reply.

"Tyki!" shouted Lenalee, thanking a shot at the door. "We haven't seen you in over a week! What's going on in there?" Silence.

"Lavi did you try to pick his lock?" Allen asked.

"I tried several times but for some reason the door still won't open. Its like he jammed the lock from the other side."

"Tyki!" Lenalee shouted again. "You need to come out! Allen's back!" Not a sound came from the room.

"Guys, do you think you could leave us alone for a while?" asked Allen. "He might come out if I'm by myself. Is that ok?" 

"Fine by me." Said Lavi, leaning back with his head in his hands.

"We'll be in the dining hall Allen." Said Lenalee. "Please come and get us as soon as he comes out."

"IF you can get him out that is."

"I will." Silently the couple departed, leaving Allen alone in front of Tyki's room.

"Tyki?" called Allen in a normal voice. The door was silent. Allen sighed. "Tyki, you need to come out. Lavi and Lenalee are worried about you! According to them you haven't come out in days! What is bothering you?"

After a few more minutes of effort Allen realized he was getting nowhere. He was just talking to a door.

"Tyki, could you please come out? We're all really worried about you." When there was again on reply Allen took a deep breath. "I know you have the right to privacy, but I swear if you don't come out right now I'm going to break down the door." Suddenly, there was a sound from the room. It was very faint, but Allen had definitely heard something. Honestly Allen hadn't thought the threat wasn't going to work. Why hadn't Lavi thought of this?

"I've been worried about you since I left for Sweden. It was hard for me to concentrate on tasks without thinking about you. You didn't even come out so say goodbye, and I never got to ask you what was wrong. Please talk to me."

There was a few more seconds of silence before Allen heard another noise come from the room. The door opened up to reveal his lover.

"What do you want Allen?" muttered Tyki, trying not to look at the boy. Allen looked at Tyki in shock. The man was way worse than when he had left. Tyki had huge black bags under his eyes, and skin was starting to look gray. Looking at his face Allen could even tell Tyki was starting to loose weight. He hadn't though such a change could happen to someone within a week! Allen shook himself, and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Have you ever considered the thought that we are all _worried_ about you?" asked the boy, reaching up to cup the man's face. Tyki move away from the hand before it could touch him, and Allen let his arm drop.

"Tyki, we haven't seen you in over a week! What's going on? Why don't you tell us? We could help you!" Still, the man did not look at the boy. "Why have you been avoiding us? And why are you avoiding _me_?" That caught the man's attention.

"Why can't you even stand to be around us?" asked the boy, his emotions beginning to show. "We've missed you Tyki. "_I've_ missed you." Those words seemed to hit Tyki full force, and the man caved. Suddenly, Allen felt himself enwrapped in a warm hug. The embrace surprised Allen.

"I'm sorry, Allen," said Tyki, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't want to cause you this much trouble. I just needed some time to think about something." He looked down at the boy and gave a small smile. "And because of you, I think I've made up my mind."

"Y-you have?" Asked Allen, blushing and looking up at the Ex-Noah. Something fishy was going on here. No one could change moods that fast.

"Yes." said Tyki, leaning down to capture the boy's lips. Allen's eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by the kiss, but then composed himself and kissed the Ex-Noah back. They stayed like that for a few moments, caught up in each other's embrace. Finally, Tyki released the boy and ruffled his damp hair. "I'll tell you what, to make up for being the jerk that I am, why don't we go on a date tomorrow?" Allen froze, blush prominent against his white hair.

"D-date?" he stuttered, not believing his ears. "Do…do you mean it?" Tyki smiled and kissed the boy on the cheek.

"Yes, I mean it." He looked down at the blushing boy and smiled. "So, what do you say? Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"

"S-sure!" said Allen, his face brightening. "I would love to go on a date with you!" The sight of Allen's smile warmed Tyki's heart.

"All right then," he said, releasing his hold on the boy. "I will be waiting for you at the entrance to Headquarters around 7:00 pm. Be sure to wear something nice ok?" Allen nodded.

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me what you decided on?" Allen could have sworn Tyki's smile wavered in that small second, but it was so quick he could not be certain.

"It was nothing that you need to be worried about." Said Tyki, patting the boy's head before turning to go back into his room. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to take a shower. I will join you guys for dinner in a few hours." Tyki turned back to Allen and smiled. "I have some stuff to take care of."

"Ok!" said Allen, turning to leave as well. He'd get the truth out of Tyki somehow, but right now wasn't the time. Allen was just happy to see the man's face again. "I'll tell everybody to save you a seat in the cafeteria. See you at dinner!"

"All right!" said Tyki, watching the boy's figure disappear into the distance. As soon as Allen was gone Tyki dropped his mask. _Now_, he thought, turning to look at his room. _I have a lot of stuff to take care of before tomorrow._

(A/N) Oh my gosh guys I'm so sorry! My parent's confiscated my computer yesterday so I couldn't post (I have since then learned the importance of back-ups)!

Ok, I know this isn't my best chapter, but I'll try to post a replacement by this Friday. Again, I am SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE THIS WEEK!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Allen found Tyki waiting for him at the entrance of the Black Order a little past 7pm. Blinking, Allen noticed he was wearing the new clothes they had bought him while at the fair. This surprised the boy; as Tyki hadn't even unpacked the clothes form the bag since they had returned on New Years. Looking at him Allen had to admit Lenalee had known what she was talking about with clothing. Tyki looked very flattering in his new vest and pants. As if sensing being watched, Tyki turned in Allen's direction.

"Hey Tyki," said Allen warmly, walking over to his lover. Tyki smile grew into a grin at the sight of the boy. Allen was wearing a nice pair of slacks, which partially obscured the black shoes on his feet. His clean white shirt was partially revealed by the black suit top that he was wearing, and Tyki could see the swan necklace resting naturally on his collarbone. The boy looked very nice in his clothing.

"Sorry for being late!" said the boy as he reached his destination. "Practice with Eaze ran a little longer than expected."

"That's ok." Said Tyki, wrapping the boy in a loose hug. "I was just worried because I thought that you had changed your mind."

"I wouldn't do that to you." Said Allen, a little saddened by the fact that Tyki thought he would do such a thing.

"It seem that I don't have anything to worry about then after all." Replied the Ex-Noah, taking Allen's hand in his own. "Now, shall we get going? The reservation is only good until 7:30."

"Sure!" said Allen, squeezing Tyki's hand lightly. "Where are we headed?" Tyki just smiled down at the boy, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"You will see." Tyki whispered in his ear. Allen blushed, hoping no one was around to see them. "Lets go."

"Whoa!" said Allen, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of the restaurant. The restaurant was called The Wolseley, it's name printed near the top of the building. The restaurant was built entirely of stone on the outside, with old-fashioned geek columns and arches at its entrance. "Tyki, how much did it cost you to get a reservation here?"

"Not much actually." Said Tyki, looking down at the boy. "But that is beside the point. Shall we go in?" Allen nodded. The inside was almost as nice as the outside of the building. The whole room was made out of wood, with a bid desk in the middle of it. Tyki walked over to the desk and rung a small bell. A middle-aged woman with moon spectacles appeared from under the desk.

"May I help you with something?" asked the woman, looking at the two people in front of her.

"Yes." Said Tyki, looking at his watch. "My friend and I have a reservation for two."

"Name?"

"Tyki. Tyki Mikk."

"Your table is over this way sir." Said the woman, gesturing to her right. "Follow me."

Their table was seated next to a window, where they could overlook the people passing by the restaurant. The two took their seats and looked out the window. Allen sighed at the sight. How he loved this time of the year! The sun was still in the sky, but it was beginning to set, making the streets of London glow bright orange and yellow. The whole town seemed to be wrapped in the warmth of the sun.

"Here are your menu's." said the woman, handing them two pieces of paper. "A waitress will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Said Tyki, his eyes scrolling down the menu. The woman bowed once more before disappearing back to the front of the restaurant. "So Allen," said Tyki, looking over at the boy. Allen tore his gaze from the window to look at his friend. "What would you like to eat? Everything today is on me."

"Really?" asked Allen, looking at the menu. It was not that expensive, but he knew that with the way he ate, it would still cost a good sum of money. "I can help pay. It wouldn't be fair for you to take the whole bill." Tyki looked startled for a minute, before smiling and reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair. "You don't have to be so polite tonight Allen. For once just let someone else pay for your food." Allen looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it and let the matter drop.

"Excuse me." Said a young female voice. Tyki and Allen turned to see a young pretty-looking girl standing next to their table. "Have you decided on what you would like to eat?"

"Yes." Said Tyki, looking at the menu once more. "I was thinking of having the Chicken Soup with a Half Salt Beef Sandwich, Grilled King Prawns, and a Seared Mackerel. For dessert, I would like the Elderflower and Mixed Berry Syllabub." Tyki turned to Allen and smiled. "What would you like Allen?"

"I was thinking of having the Chicken Soup with Dumplings, Chopped Chicken and Tarragon Salad, Grilled Roman Artichokes, Roast Tomato, Goats' Cheese, and Olive Tart, a large Lobster and Dorset Crayfish Salad, Brown and Forrest Smoked Salmon, and a large Steak Tartare with Toast for starters." Said the boy, looking at the menu. "For the main course, I will have the Duck Confit, Roast Chicken Landais, Double Lamb Chop, Roast Fillet of Cod, the Grilled Fish of the Day, Seared Scallops, and five Rib Eye Steaks." The boy looked up from the menu and smiled. "And for dessert, I will have the Backed Vanilla Cheese Cake, the Caramelized Cherry Bakewell Tart, Apple strudel, and the Raspberry and Apple Crumble." Suddenly Allen blinked. "On second thought, just give me two of everything please."

"A-are you sure you can eat all of that?" asked the waitress, looking wide-eyed at the boy.

"Trust me." Said Tyki, looking at the waitress. "He can eat all of that." The waitress blushed.

"W-well then, do you want a glass of wine to go with your meal?"

"Sure." Said Tyki, looking at the wine menu. "I would like to have a glass of the Corbières Cuvée Classique Château Les Ollieux Romanis please."

"Alright." Said the waitress, turning to Allen. "And would you like anything?"

"No, I will just have a glass of water." Replied the boy, closing the menu and handing it to the girl.

"Your food will be here shortly." Said the waitress, bowing and leaving the two alone.

"So," asked Tyki, turning to look at the boy across from him. "How was your day today? I apologize for not being able to see you until tonight."

"My day was ok I guess." Replied Allen, looking down at the table. "Eaze is starting to get the hang of what I am teaching him."

"That's good to hear." Said Tyki, smiling at the blushing boy. "Now, I don't want to rush you, but we have to be out of here by 8:30. I have other plans for us tonight besides this."

"Um, ok." Said Allen, starting to become curious as to what they were going to do next.

"So, tell me about yourself Allen." Said Tyki, leaning back in his chair. "I know that you are an Exorcist, love food, are great at cards, and that you are the Destroyer of Time. Other than that, I don't really know much about your past." Allen seemed to pause for a minute, not sure where to begin. Finally, he sighed and began.

"Well, I was born somewhere in England, but was abandoned by my parents when I was just a kid. Mana found me and took me in when I was 7, and I traveled with him in the circus until he died when I was 10." Allen's face suddenly got dark. "That was when I saw the Millennium Earl for the first time. I made the deal with him on Christmas Eave to bring Mana back to life. Mana then cursed me, my Innocence activated for the first time, and I killed Mana again. Cross then found me and took me in as his apprentice. I traveled with him until I was 15, when he told me I could become an Exorcist, then knocked me out and ran away when we were in India. I got to the order a few weeks after that, and you know the rest."

"Hmmm, seems like you have not had the best of luck." Said Tyki, smiling at the boy.

"U-um sir," said a voice from next to them. Both turned to see the waitress holding Tyki's food, accompanied by five other young waiters with Allen's food. "W-where would you like to put this?"

"Oh." Said Tyki, standing up to help the poor waiters. "You can spread out Allen's food on the table."

"R-right!" said the girl, placing Tyki's food in front of him. The other five waiters did as they were told and spread out the food on their table.

"Yum!" said Allen, looking at all the food. "This smells so good!"

"I'm glad." Said Tyki, already beginning to eat. "You may eat." Allen didn't have to be told twice. Tyki laughed as he saw all of the food disappear in less than one minute.

"Ah, that was delicious!" said Allen, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Thank you for the food!"

"No problem." Replied Tyki, still working on his food.

"So what about you Tyki?" asked Allen, coming over to sit next to the man. "What is your life story?" Tyki was quiet for a minute, looking down at his plate.

"I was born somewhere in Portugal, over several hundred years ago. I don't remember much of my early life, but I do remember Cyril and I playing when we were little."

"Who is Cyril?" asked Allen, looking over at the man. Tyki smiled. "He is my older brother."

"You had a brother?" asked Allen, clearly interested in the subject.

"Yes, I do." Said Tyki, looking down at the boy. "Cyril it Road's adoptive father."

"So wait," said Allen, trying to make sense of the new information. "If Cyril is your older brother, and he is also Road's dad, that makes you her uncle right?" Tyki nodded. "Wow! I had no idea that you were related!"

"We aren't by blood, but we were all Noah's, so I guess you are right." Said Tyki, pulling Allen into a loose hug. "Road is actually older than both of us though. I don't know how old she is, but she is the oldest of all of the Noah."

"Really?" asked Allen, starting to become confused. "So do the Noah just stop aging when they become Noah's?"

"Yeah." Said Tyki, looking out the window. "I was 26 when the Millennium Earl came to us and told us we were Noah's. I have been working with him ever since."

"But you decided to join us a few months ago, so that is new." Said Allen, snuggling closer to the Ex-Noah. Tyki smiled and rested his head against the boy's.

"Yes, I guess that is true." Tyki sighed and looked at his pocket watch. It was now 8:20. "Allen, we have to get going. If we stay here, we are going to miss the second part of our date." Allen nodded and got up.

"Ok, where are we going to next?" asked Allen as Tyki paid the bill. Tyki smiled and grabbed the boy's hand. "You will see."

In 15 minutes, they were at the Oxford Music Hall. The sun had almost set, so it was starting to get dark.

"Tyki!" Said Allen, looking at the gigantic building. "You got tickets to see Ravel in concert?"

"Yep." Said Tyki, reaching down to hold the boy's hand. "Shall we go in? The show starts in five minutes." Allen smiled as he looked up at the Ex-Noah.

"Sure."

The Ravel performance lasted for over two hours, but it was the most beautiful music Allen had ever heard. Tyki had managed to get seats close to the stage, so the sound was amazing. The whole time, Allen had his and in Tyki's, and the two cuddled until the performance was over.

"That was amazing!" said Allen as they left the building. "The music was so beautiful, and the acoustics was superb!"

"I am glad you enjoyed it." Said Tyki, smiling at the sunset. Tyki looked down at his pocket watch and sighed. "It seems we have to go home now. It is getting rally late." Allen's mood changed from happy to sad in less than a second at those words.

"Oh."

"We have to go home sometime Allen." Said Tyki, pulling the boy close to him. "And besides," he whispered in the boy's ear. "I have something waiting for us there." Allen looked up at the man, eyes beginning to shine. "Shall we go?" Allen nodded, now eager to get back to Headquarters.

"Now don't look until I tell you to." Instructed Tyki, making sure the boy's eyes were closed. Allen nodded, letting Tyki guide him through the Black Order grounds. It was five minutes before Tyki sat Allen down on a bench and allowed the boy to open his eyes. Allen stopped dead, unable to believe his eyes. The whole training ground had been turned into a magical winter wonderland, complete with frost covered trees and an ice skating rink. For a few minute, all Allen could do was stare in wonder.

"I had Eaze and Lenalee set it up as soon as we left." Said Tyki, handing Allen a pair of ice skates. "Care to skate with me?" Allen napped out of his trance and looked at the pair of skates.

"I don't know." Said Allen, looking way from the Ex-Noah. "I have never gone ice skating before." Tyki just smiled and began removing Allen's shoes.

"Then," he said, tying the skates on the boy's feet. "I will just have to teach you." Tyki pulled the boy up on his feet and helped him walk over to the ice skating rink. "Now, be careful when you get on the ice. The ice is very slippery, and it is very difficult to stand on." Allen did as he was told, and fell on his butt as soon as the two walked onto the ice. Tyki laughed as Allen tried to stand back up, only to fall down again. "Here," said Tyki, pulling the boy onto his feet. "Why don't you just hold on to me? It will be easier for me to catch you if you fall that way." Allen blushed, but did as he was told. It took a few minutes for Allen to get the hang of it, but before long the two were gliding across the ice, Tyki holding onto Allen's hand the whole time. After a while, Allen got tired and the two stopped and got off the ice. The two waked back to Allen's room in silence.

"Well, here we are." Said Tyki, opening Allen's bedroom door. "I guess I had better get going."

"No wait!" said Allen, grabbing Tyki by the hand. Tyki stopped and turned to the boy, startled at the movement. "I…I just wanted to thank you for tonight." Said Allen, blushing furiously. "I really enjoyed it. I have never gone to a live performance of the orchestra, and I certainly never went ice-skating before. I have wanted to learn how my whole life, but Mana and I were traveling so much that he never got to teach me. So…thank you." Tyki's eyes softened as he smiled and down at the boy.

"Your welcome." Allen blushed before looking up and smiling back, then stretching up to plant a kiss in Tyki's lips. Tyki was completely caught off guard by the action. Allen _never_ started their kisses. It was always Tyki who kissed Allen, not the other way around. Suddenly the man could not take it anymore, and kissed Allen back with all the passion he could muster. Slowly, the two backed into Allen's room, the door clicking shut quietly behind them.

All was quiet in the Black Order as midnight arrived. The moon shone brightly in the sky, lighting the room. Tyki looked down on the sleeping figure, a sad smile forming on his face.

"Thank you," said Tyki, looking down at his lover. "Thank you for believing in me, for helping me become the person I am today. And even though I have no right to be called a human, you still loved me. And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that." Allen's eyes remained closed, deep in sleep.

"I love you, Allen Walker." Said Tyki, leaning down over to boy. A hand came down to cup the boy's check as he leaned down to kiss the sleeping boy's lips. "You and our friends were the one thing that was good in my life. Before you guys, I had never understood what it meant to truly love someone. Now I know." Tyki could not stop the tears falling from his eyes. Silently, Tyki reached under to covers to hold Allen's hand. "I love you all so much, it hurts. And I love you, more than anything in the world." He said, squeezing the boy's hand. It was all Tyki could do to not climb back in bed with the boy. "I will miss you, but I hope that we will never have to meet again." Quietly, the Ex-Noah stood up, slipped on his clothes, and left without another word.

Tyki headed down to the science department in silence, the elevator slipping silently past the place he called home. Apparently, Komui had given all of the scientists a break today, letting them go to sleep in their own beds for once. Almost everyone was convinced it was so the man could keep an eye on his sister.

As Tyki approached a sleeping Hevlaska, he realized he was not alone. Before the man could even blink, a sword came to rest against his neck. Turning, Tyki saw non other than Kanda You holding him at sword point. Inwardly Tyki's heart clenched. So God wasn't going to make this easy on him, was he.

"What do you think you are doing, Noah filth?" spat the samurai, pressing his sword against Tyki's neck.

"I am here to relieve your post for the night." Tyki muttered softly. "Komui said that I-"

"You're lying." Sneered the Exorcist, his grip on the sword tightening.

"I asure you I am not. I have orders from Komui-"

"I specifically asked Komui to give the night shift completely to me. No one is coming to replace me until morning. I'll ask you again, why are you down here?"

Hearing the samurai's reply Tyki's heart sank. It was worth a try.

"Answer me!" Tyki felt the tip of the sword begin to cut into his neck. Taking a deep breath Tyki closed his eyes and spoke.

"I am sorry, Kanda, for what I am about to do to you. I tried to be reasonable, but I have no choice if you are going to stand in my way."

"What do you-"But before Kanda could finish, a black box had encased the entire floor. The samurai blinked. Suddenly everything had gotten darker, the only source of light remaining being Hevlaska's body.

"What is this?" asked Kanda, looking up at the top of the box. Looking at the walls Kanda knew it would be pointless to try and cut through the stuff.

"Severing Box." Replied Tyki, his back facing the swordsman. "It lock us in a separate dimension from the rest of the world. No one will be able to hear us now."

"What are you-" Kanda's sentence was cut off when he felt the man's hand enter his body.

"Cleanse." Whispered Tyki. The blue-haired teen barely knew what had hit him. Before he could throw up a defense, Kanda's body was filled with an unbearable amount of pain. It felt as if he were being destroyed from the inside out. Everything was so hot, burning, siring into his skin. Kanda let out a pained cry before collapsing onto the floor, a pool of blood beginning to form underneath his body.

"Who is there?" came another voice, this time a female. Hevlaska was beginning to wake up. This wasn't good. "Tyki Mikk? What are you doing here?" In the blink of an eye Tyki's attack hit the ghost-like creature full force. Before Hevlaska could even register the situation, she found her body was restrained by several black rings.

"What?" she said, struggling to get free. "I can't escape!" Suddenly, Hevlaska felt a white-hot ball enter her body, and she cried out in pain. Looking down she saw the Ex-Noah standing below her, his face obscured by his hair. All of a sudden, the white ball of light exploded within her, and she collapsed, unconscious. Tyki was till for a few moments before sighing. Time to-

"You aren't getting away Noah!" the voice almost made the man groan out loud. Why couldn't the samurai just stay down? Turning around Tyki saw Kanda struggling to get up.

"I'll kill you before-" Kanda was out cold before he could even hit the floor. Withdrawing his fist Tyki surveyed the damage. The samurai would live, but only if someone found him soon. He had better hurry.

_I am sorry, everyone_. Silently, Tyki, slipped his hand inside the unconscious ghost. Within a few minutes, Tyki had every piece of Innocence within Helvaska's body inside his pocket. Now all he had to do was wait.

It was a few moments later that his help arrived. "So you finally decided to come back to us after all, Tyki." Came Road's voice from the other side of the cube. Tyki looked over to see his niece floating in the air, sitting on Lero. Behind her sat the entrance to the new Ark. The man said nothing but opened his vest to reveal all of the innocence shards. Road giggled and snapped her fingers, the black box disappearing, along with the restraints on Hevlaska. "Come." She said, holding out a hand to her uncle. "Let's go. Everyone had been worried about you." Tyki looked at his niece, his eyes full of sadness.

"And you promise Allen and everyone will not be hurt?"

"You have my word as a Noah." Replied his niece, raising her hand. Tyki took one last glance at the mess he had made, then took his nieces hand. Together, they entered the floating door, and disappeared in a white flash of light.

(A/N) OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY FOR MAKING YOU GUYS WAIT THIS LONG! I FEEL LIKE SUCH AN IDIOT! *bangs head against desk* I didn't forget about you guys, I really didn't, but Thanksgiving completely threw me off schedule, and then I ad finals on top of that, followed by Christmas shopping and then Christmas itself, and AGGGGHHHH! I tried to get back to this sooner but I just had so much stuff going on this was really the only time I had to work on this! I'm SO SORRY for putting this thing on an unannounced, UNPLANED hiatus! You guys have every right to hate me! I PROMISE I'll never do something like this without giving you guys some kind of warning first. God I feel like such an asshole!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Gray irises flickered back and forth behind closed eyelids; his chest rising and falling with the intake of breath. At first glance, an observer would think the young boy was having a nightmare, but as time would pass, the onlooker would realize that his breathing was slow and steady, and on his face, rested a gentle smile. The air in the room was silent, save for the sound of the child's breathing.

For the first time in two weeks, Allen Walker was able to sleep through the night peacefully. The clock tolled nine times but still the sleeping form did not wake. And he didn't want to, for this was a rare event; something to be treasured.

Instead of death, he dreamt of the ocean.

It was summer, and the sun felt good on his back. The sounds of seagulls and water filled his ears, accompanied by the musty smell of the ocean. He sighed inwardly as he surveyed the landscape.

Eaze was building a sand castle while Lenalee was bathing in the sunlight. Komui and the other scientists had started playing a game of beach ball. Jerry tended an outdoor barbeque. Allen watched, smiling, as Lavi brought his two friends a cold drink.

Everything was so perfect.

_But, something is missing._

Allen blinked. _What?_

_Something…is missing._

No, nothing was missing. Everything was perfect. Eaze was enjoying a drink with Lavi and Lenalee, and Tyki was-

_Tyki was?_

Tyki wasn't there.

"Allen!" called a voice from beyond the shore. Turning, Allen saw Tyki, the man in question, standing just off the shore. Small droplets of water clung to his body; his hair released from its usual prison, hanging just past his neck. He stood in the water, grinning and inviting the boy to join him in the water.

Looking over at his lover, Allen's face softened. The sand beneath his feet crackled softly as he moved to join his companion.

_See? He wasn't missing. He was right there._

"Allen!"

"I'm coming!" he shouted. Tyki's only response was a soft smile.

The water was the perfect temperature. Not too hot, but not to cold. The liquid felt good against the boy's skin, and he paused to soak in the smell of the sea before continuing towards his friend.

It was a few moments later that Allen realized something wasn't right. The water was already up to his waist, but on Tyki it was only up to his ankles. Was the ground there higher than at the shore? Was he standing on a rock?

As Allen began to wade in even further, it became evident that this was not the only difference. The section of sea he was standing in was a clear crystal blue. The area surrounding Tyki…was different. It was darker, harder to see through. From his vantage point Allen couldn't see Tyki's feet, even though they were only a few inches below the surface.

"Tyki? Tyki why can't I see your…" Allen stopped.

Something wasn't right. He had been wading towards the Ex-Noah for almost a minute, and yet he didn't seem to be getting any close to him. If anything, he seemed to be getting farther away. Taking a closer look, Allen noticed the water surrounding Tyki was starting to change. In less than a few moments, the water had gone from dark blue, to black.

Something was definitely not right. Allen increased his pace, now breaking into a frantic swim.

"Tyki!" he shouted. Suddenly Allen found he could no longer move. It was as if there were an invisible barrier separating him from his destination. Allen could only watch in horror as the black water slowly enveloped his lover.

"Tyki! Get out of there!" cried Allen. He had to help him. Tyki was going to drown if nothing were done! But it was no use. It seemed the harder Allen worked towards getting to him, the faster Tyki sank into the black water.

"Tyki!"

"It's no use Allen." muttered Tyki quietly. "I'm already too far gone."

_What?_

"No you're not!" He shouted, starting to swim towards him once more. "No your not Tyki! You're right here! You belong here!" Tyki was sinking fast. Now his head was barely visible above the black water. "Don't just give up! Fight! Fight for your life! Please I'm begging you! Don't-"

"Goodbye Allen." whispered his lover, before quietly slipping beneath the surface of the water.

For a moment, everything seemed to stand still. Allen could barely register what had happened.

Tyki was gone.

He had been swallowed up by the darkness.

He wasn't going to come back.

_He was alone._

"TYKI COME BACK!"

_Thump thump._

"Allen!" The boy froze. Someone was shouting his name. It sounded like a woman's voice.

Thump thump knock.

"Allen are you there?" Are you there? Of course he was. Where else would he be? But that wasn't important right now. He had to get to the black water. He had to follow Tyki. He had to save him.

Thump thump thump knock knock knock.

"Allen, please, wake up!"

Allen woke with a start, his arm outstretched towards the ceiling. A dream? Had he been dreaming?

Heart pounding in his chest, Allen retracted his arm. A dream. It was only a dream.

Taking a deep breath, Allen sat up in his bed, and realized that he was completely naked.

_What the-?_

Suddenly, the memories of last night's activities with Tyki flooded Allen's mind, and a dark blush covered his face.

They…had done lots of…things when they had returned, each more embarrassing than the next. Allen blush darkened at the thoughts of what the two had done once they had gotten back.

Nervously, Allen turned to the other side of the bed. Expecting to see Tyki sleeping next to him, the boy was surprised to find only cold spot in the bed.

Knock knock knock

Someone was banging on his door.

"Allen!" yelled a voice from outside. Allen turned just in time to see Lenalee barge into his room, looking worried and out of breathe. As soon as she spotted Allen however, her face turned pink. "Did you two…?"

"Lenalee!" shouted Allen, quickly pulling up the sheets to cover himself. "Please knock before coming into my room!"

"S-sorry Allen." stuttered the girl, turning around but obviously still blushing. Silence. Then:

"Allen…did you and Tyki…sleep together?"

Allen blushed, looking down at his sheets. He was quiet for a few moments before replying.

"Yeah. We did."

The silence in the room lasted for a good few minutes, neither friend willing to look at the other.

"Have you seen Tyki since last night?" his friend asked, still looking in the opposite direction.

"No," Allen turned to look out the window. "You just woke me up."

"But he was here last night right?"

"Y-Yes." Lenalee did not speak for a very long time. When she finally turned around she looked worried.

"Lenalee, what's wrong?"

"Allen, you need to come with me." Said Lenalee, turning around. "Nii-san wants to talk to you about some events that happened last night. You have five minutes to get dressed. I will be waiting outside." And with that, the girl stepped outside.

Allen was still for a few moments before swinging his legs off the bed.

Something strange was going on. He just knew it.

Planting his feet on the floor, Allen stood up to stretch. With a cry, Allen collapsed onto the floor, a sharp, stabbing pain running up his back.

"Allen?" came Lenalee's voice from outside. "Allen! Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah." answered Allen, wincing. _Damn it! Tyki_!thought the boy, rubbing his lower back softly. _Why did you have to do this to me? I can't even get up!_

"Are you sure?" asked Lenalee. She sounded worried again. "It sounded like you took a big fall in there."

"I'm fine!" he replied, attempting to stand again. "I just lost my footing that's all."

"Well, just try to hurry ok? This is extremely important."

After a few more tries, Allen was able to stand again, but it was painful. His lower back was really sore. Wincing at the pain in his body, the boy headed for his bathroom.

Allen sucked in a breath as he turned on the water. Something was definitely going on. But why wouldn't Lenalee tell him?

As the boy moved to open the door to the shower, he stopped. In the mirror Allen could see a clear image himself. His whole body was covered in bruises and love marks, a clear reminder of what had happened last night.

Looking at them Allen felt a sense of sadness creep over him.

Tyki hadn't meant to be that forceful. He knew that. If anything, the man had tried to be as gentle as possible. He was constantly apologizing for almost everything he did. But something had been…off. Allen couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was as if Tyki were trying really hard not to think about something else. Even when Allen had looked into Tyki's eyes and saw mostly passion, he had also seen something else.

With one last glance at his reflection Allen stepped into the shower, allowing the steam to fill his lungs. The warm water felt good against his bruised body, helping to dull the pain in his back. It was then that Allen noticed the pair of earrings that Allen had planned to give Tyki for Valentine's Day sitting on the counter.

_What is going on here?_ Wondered Allen, trying to take in the scene. _What in the world happened last night?_

The Black Order was in a frenzy. There were people running all over the place, and many were shouting and crying. Allen had never seen the building in such disarray.

"Allen." Allen turned to see Lavi sitting in Komui's office. Krory, Bookman, and Eaze were there as well. In the far end of the room, Komui was sitting at his desk.

"Allen-san!" shouted Komui, getting up from his desk. Allen was surprised. Usually, Komui welcomed his sister before greeting others. Komui ignoring her was definitely a bad sign.

"Allen!" shouted Komui again, jarring the boy from his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Where were you last night?" Allen looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking where you were last night when you left the Black order with Tyki Mikk." Allen was caught off guard by the question.

"I believe that is none of your business Komui-san."

"Allen," Lenalee placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is a very important matter. Just answer the question." Allen looked at his friend for a moment, then sighed.

"I went with Tyki to London, if you must know."

"What did you two do?"

"We first went to eat dinner at a nice restaurant. Then, we caught the a Ravel performance before heading home to ice skate on a rink that Eaze and Lenalee set up for us." In the corner, Allen saw Eaze smile. He would have to thank his friends for that later.

"What did you do after that?" asked Komui, continuing to pester the boy with questions. Allen frowned.

"Now this is becoming ridiculous Komui-san. I think I should have the right to privacy at some point!"

"Allen," said Lavi, looking at his friend with his one good eye. "We really need to know what happened last night. It's very important."

"If it's that important then why won't you tell me what's going on?" The group turned to look at each other, a look or worry passing between them. "Komui-san-"

"I will tell you as soon as you answer my questions."

"But why-"

"Because your answers will determine what I have to say to you."

Allen looked at the people assembled before looking away.

"Then we went back to my room."

"And?"

"Komui-san, please-"

"_And?"_ Face turning pink, Allen took a deep breath.

"He…spent the night there."

An awkward silence settled upon the room, leaving all faces in the room bright red. Looking over at Allen Lenalee felt some sympathy for her friend. No one should have to tell someone about his night by force. But this was important. Allen had no choice but cooperate. Finally, Komui cleared his throat and continued.

"Was Tyki there when you woke up?"

"No. When I woke up, he was gone."

"Was Tyki acting a little…different while you two were out?"

"No," turning to face the group once more, Allen continued. "But according to Lenalee the week before he never left his room. When I finally managed to get him out of there, he seemed to change into a different person. He said that he was sorry for not talking to me that week, and to make up for it, he said we could go on a date."

"But he was still gone this morning?" Allen nodded. A long silence filled to room. As Allen turned to look at his friends, his heart dropped. Komui seemed to look very solemn, as was everyone else in the room. Lenalee looked as if she were about to cry.

"Komui, what happened last night?" Komui looked down t his desk, not willing to look at the teen. "You promised to tell me. Everyone is in a frenzy. Please tell me what is going on!"

"Allen," said Lenalee, walking over to her friend. "Someone broke into the science lab last night and stole all of the Innocence that we have collected."

A look of fear crossed Allen's face. "What? How can that be? Hevlaska is guarding all of the Innocence. There is no way all of them could be gone!"

"Hevlaska was attacked last night." said Lavi quietly. "Yu was there to witness the attack, but was seriously wounded when we found him." Allen froze, a feeling of terror settling over him.

"No. No no no no NO!"

"Allen, Kanda said that it was Tyki who attacked him and stole the Innocence last night."

"NO!" shouted Allen, tearing away from his friends.

"Allen."said Eaze, coming over to join the circle of friends.

"Kanda is lying!" shouted Allen, looking frantic. "Tyki would never do something like that! He is a changed person! Kanda has always hated Tyki! Kanda is lying!"

"Kanda isn't lying."said Eaze, trying not to cry. "Hevlaska said the same thing, and we found evidence of Tyki being there last night."

"It's fake evidence!" he cried, tears beginning to trickle down his face. "Tyki is innocent! INNOCENT!"

"I am sorry Allen." muttered Komui, not looking up. "But we cannot deny the fact that Tyki Mikk is now a traitor."

(A/N)

See? I told you I'd have this posted today! Sure, it's like 2 hours until 12, but I don't care! I was just determined to finish this on time!

I'm sorry for not uploading this last week. I was out of town and didn't have Internet access. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

~AnimeGirl124~


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"_I'm sorry Allen but you cannot deny the fact that Tyki Mikk has turned traitor."_

_I couldn't be true. There was no way it could be true._

_"We've looked everywhere for him, but it seems Tyki-kun has disappeared completely."_

_Tyki was a changed man. He would never do something like this. Not to anyone._

_Not to him._

"Kanda-kun has been put in a medical induced coma for the time being, but as soon as he is awake he will be able to give us more information and-"

"What information," said Allen quietly, "do you have at this point, Komui-san?" Lenalee stopped sniffling for a moment to look at her friend. How could he be so calm about this? This was a serious matter of betrayal! The whole Black Order was now in danger!

"As you know, after the past attacks on the Science Department, golems have been installed as security to monitor the room." muttered Lavi, eyeing his friend carefully. "The golems managed to catch some footage of last night and-"

"Let me see it." Allen cut him off. Lavi's eyebrows shot up.

"Allen," whispered Lenalee gently, wiping her own eyes "I don't think that would be a good idea. What happened to Kanda-"

"Let me see it." Allen repeated, his voice a little more firmly.

"But Allen-"

"As an exorcist of this Order I have the right to see the events that transpired last night in the Since Department."

"Allen-"

"And-" Allen's voice dropped to barely above a whisper, "as his lover."

Looking her friend in the eye, Lenalee realized with a start that Allen wasn't calm; he was frantic. But he was also determined. He seemed to be using every ounce of his willpower to put up a front. Immediately, she understood arguing the point any further would be pointless.

"Fine, Lavi and I will take you down there as soon as we-."

"Lenalee." Lavi's hand was soft but firm on her shoulder. His mouth was in a frown.

"Allen's right. He has every right to know what happened."

"But you haven't even seen the tape yourself." He countered. "Bookman and I already did, and I can tell you it's not something most people should have to see."

"Lavi." Allen's voice was almost a plead. "Please. From one friend to another, I need to know what happened to Tyki."

For a moment, everything was still. The two friends were locked in a stare-down, each waiting for the other's gaze to waver. Lenalee watched both of them worriedly. What was going to happen? Where they going to fight? Should she be scared?

Almost a minute had clicked by on the clock when Lavi finally sighed, turned and began to walk outside.

"Follow me if you want to see the tape." He muttered in a low voice. His back was to the group, but Lenalee could tell by his posture that he was not happy.

"Lavi..." Allen started.

"But," Lavi's gaze was almost burning as he turned to look over his shoulder. "Believe me when I say that I did warn you."

The silence was deafening to the inhabitants of the room.

"I-I'm coming too." Came a small voice from the corner. All heads swiveled to see Eaze standing up from his seat.

"No, Eaze." said Lavi, looking at the boy. "You are not allowed to come with us."

"B-but Tyki is the only family I have left and I-"

"Eaze," Allen's voice was soft, but firm. "I think Lavi's right on this."

"But, but Allen-"

"I'm sorry Eaze but the answer is no." Eaze fell silent, his big eyes filling with tears.

"Y-you think I'm too young to see it, but I'm an exorcist too. I'm not to l-little to realize I've s-seen more than most kids my age w-will ever see in their life."

"No, I know that, Eaze, and that's precisely why I think you shouldn't see this." Allen replied, walking over to the small child. "Kids your age shouldn't have to see the things you have already seen. And while most of your innocence has already been ruined, I'll be dammed if I can't protect the last shreds you still have."

"T-this isn't fair!" He shouted. "Why can't I see this? He's my friend too!" Allen tried to comfort the boy but ran off before Allen could reach him. It wasn't long before the sounds of Eaze's sobs and cries started to echo throughout the top floor.

The room was quiet for a few more moments before Lavi finally spoke.

"The CROW are going to be here soon with orders from Headquarters. If you want to see that tape before they arrive we had better go down now."

Allen glanced once more in the direction of the hall, his heart heavy in his chest.

"…Lets go."

************************************************************************************

The three teens were silent as they made their way to the control room. It seemed no one wanted to discuss what had just happened, and Allen was thankful for that. Though the walk was short, it gave him time to think about the situation.

Tyki had been with Allen for the majority of the day yesterday, and almost all of last night. When he had awoken, Tyki was gone; that was a fact. But where had he gone to?

Then there was the matter of missing Innocence. There was no denying that something had gone on last night...other than the..._activities_ the two had participated in. Was it possible that Tyki had merely been caught up in this because he had gone out for a short walk? But who would go for a walk in the middle of the night?

But what if...what if Tyki really was linked to last night's incident?

_Tyki hasn't done anything_ Allen corrected himself. _Not yet._ He would not believe what anyone said until he saw the evidence himself.

When they arrived Reever was sitting at one of the controls, sipping on some coffee that Lenalee had brought him earlier.

"Lavi-san!" Reever greeted him warmly as he reclined further in his chair. "What can I help you with?"

"Allen and Lenalee have requested to see the film of last night." muttered the teen quietly. Reever choked on his coffee, spewing small droplets of coffee on the monitor. Wiping his mouth he turned to look at the group.

"Oi Lavi-san, you're not serious are you?" When the exorcist didn't reply Reever's face paled. "Are you really going to let them see it? What happened to Kanda-"

"I know, and they know as well, but they want to see the tape nevertheless." stated Lavi firmly.

"B-but we're under strict orders to not show anyone else besides the Bookmen this film until the CROW arrive and-"

"But I am a Bookman as well, Reever, and I am requesting to see this tape one more time."

"Reever-san, please, we really need to see what went on last night." Lenalee said gently.

Reever's eyes flickered over each of the children's faces, looking for a hint a hesitation, something to tell him they weren't serious. But their faces remained resolute. Taking one last sip of his coffee, the man sighed.

"Fine, but it ain't going to be pretty." Walking over to one of the computers, Reever began to type away at the keyboard. In a few moments three screens lit up, revealing a view of the Science Department. It was daylight, and Allen could see many of his friends wondering about the room, searching for lost papers or going to the computers to look up data.

Reever pressed the fast forward button, and the four watched the day scene slowly turn into night. Once he had reached the desirable section, Reever paused the screen. Looking at the bottom of one of the screen, Allen could see the clock read 1:23 am.

"Allen," asked Reever, his hand hovering over the keyboard. "Are you sure you want to see this?" All eyes were now focused on the teen before them, his eyes hidden behind a curtain of white hair.

_Do I really want to see this?_

Allen's memories flashed before him in his head. Memories of the man he had once feared, once hated.

And once loved.

"I'm sure." Allen's voice was barely above a whisper, but no one could mistake the sound of determination behind those two words.

Taking a deep breath, Reever pressed the play button, and the video began.

At first, all they could see was black; but as the golem's lens adjusted itself, the group was able to see the outline of the Science Department. Everything was still in the picture, except for the occasional stir of a piece of paper from an invisible wind.

Suddenly, another movement caught Allen's eye. Squinting, Allen could make out the faint silhouette of a human form walking into view.

"If you look over to the right, you can see a human is now entering the lab from the right side of the screen." Explained the scientist, pointing to the small figure that had entered the room. The golem's lens focused on the movement, and Allen realized with a start that it was indeed Tyki.

The boy said nothing as he saw his lover make his way towards Hevlaska's sleeping form.

_"What do you think you are doing, Noah filth?"_ Came Kanda's voice through the speakers. Allen had been so concentrated on Tyki that he hadn't seen Kanda come onto the screen. He couldn't quite catch Tyki's reply, but it was obviously not to the samurai's liking. When Kanda's sword came into contact with Tyki's neck Allen's heart froze. But before he could say anything, the screen went black.

"Here is where we loose all visuals and sound." commented Reever, pressing the fast forward button again. "It comes back in a few minutes, but until then we don't know what exactly transpired inside the shield." As if on queue, all the visuals suddenly pop back up.

_What the...?_

The Science Department looked almost _exactly_ the same. There was _nothing_ broken. No chairs, no desks, not even the test tubes! Papers were still stacked neatly in their piles, not a single one out of place.

Allen's gaze was immediately drawn to the glowing body of Hevlaska. As Allen's eyes ran her over, he was relieved to find the ghost was merely asleep.

_But what about-_

"Kanda!" shouted Lenalee's voice. Looking over Allen saw the girl was staring wide-eyed at the next monitor. As Allen turned his gaze to the screen his stomach tightened.

_Dear God!_

Kanda's battered body was propped up on a chair next to Reever's desk. Blood was dripping from almost every crevice in his body, and his chest was rising and falling erratically. A dark red pool was already starting to spread beneath his seat. His sword lay a few paces away from his damaged arm, the blade stuck deep into the wood of the desk. Allen was surprised to find himself relieved at the fact that the sword was clean. _Clean of Tyki's blood._ Allen thought, the knot in his stomach loosening, before shaking his head of the image. Why wasn't he focusing on the samurai now?

"Kanda-kun has suffered major damage to the inside of his body." stated Reever quietly, pausing the screen. "For two hours he had internal bleeding, until Johnny discovered everything this morning, while trying to retrieve some papers he had left on his desk. It's a miracle he's alive."

"Yuu..." Lavi's voice was heavy, his hand gripped tightly to Lenalee's.

"T-this doesn't prove anything." All heads turned to see Allen looking down at his hands. They where shaking.

No. It couldn't be true. It _wasn't_ true.

"Allen." Reever's gaze was steady. "When Tyki came into the Science Department Kanda was fine, you saw that. And when he left Kanda's life was hanging by a thread. There is no way you can still think that he is-"

_No._

"But you didn't see what went on for those few moments." Allen was becoming frantic. He was loosing control of himself. "Tyki could have been kidnapped during this! How do you know it was-"

"We tested Kanda's blood, and there are remnants of Tyki's innocence attack in his DNA. I'm sorry Allen but all the evidence points towards him" At those words, the last hope that had been living in the boy's heart died.

_No._

_No no no no! Why were they all against Tyki? Why are they against HIM? Tyki couldn't have done something like this! Why couldn't they see that?_

_But the evidence is undeniable_ said a voice in his head.

_No! This isn't true! It can't be true!_

_But if Tyki's Innocence was found in Kanda then that can only mean that he attacked him_. At this though, Allen's mind broke.

Tyki...had attacked Kanda. Had attacked the whole Black Order. Had attacked _him._

"Allen…" Lenalee reached out an arm to her friend.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted, making her arm freeze midair.

"Allen!" Lavi's voice cautioned.

"Are you happy?" Allen cried, his voice full of rage. "Are you happy to prove Tyki is guilty?"

There was no answer from the girl.

"Answer me!"

"Allen!"Lavi was starting to become agitated as well, walking forward and taking a stance in front of his girlfriend. "Don't shout at Lenalee! She hasn't done anything wrong here!"

Lenalee drew back. She had never seen Allen this angry before. It frightened her.

"I...I'm not...happy that Tyki...has done this Allen." She chose her words carefully.

"Of course your not!" Now Lavi was getting angry too. "None of us are happy that Tyki's gone. How could you even think that? He was our friend too!"

"Then you should try to protect him! You know what he's like! He would never hurt anyone in this Order!

"No, you're wrong!" said Lavi coldly, his one eye glaring at his friend. "You can only see the Tyki that you've known over the past few months. It's like you've completely forgot what he was like before this."

Allen's eyes widened, before narrowing into slits.

"HOW COULD YOU?" He shouted, launching himself at his friend. "HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?"

Before Lenalee could even blink, both boys Innocence's were out and activated.

"Crown Clown!" shouted Allen, casting a storm of white ribbons at the red-head.

"Big hammer little hammer, grow, grow, grow!" With a swing of his weapon, Lavi crushed the attack and propelled himself upward.

"Energy Arc!" Allen yelled, this time bringing his sword above his head, before slashing downward, the attack flying straight towards its target.

"Stop it you two!" Shouted Lenalee, activating her own Innocence.

"Waltz, Misty Wind!" She yelled, realizing two streams of air at her friends. The wind hit Allen full force, pushing the boy back against a wall, but only momentarily. Within seconds Allen had recovered, and was now flying straight at Lenalee.

"Allen what are you-?" but Lavi stopped as soon has he got a look at his friend's face. While the redhead only had one eye, there was no mistaking the deadly gray color that had stained the other teen's skin. A feeling of dread an horror settled into his stomach.

"REEVER!" Lavi shouted. "Reever get help right now! Allen's been possessed by the 14th!"

"Edge End!" Allen shouted.

"LENALLE LOOK OUT!" Lavi's panicked warning came too late. Allen's attack hit Lenalee's exposed side, throwing the girl to the ground with a hard thud.

"Lenalee-chan!" cried Reever, running over to the unconscious girl.

"**ALLEN!**" Lavi's voice was no longer a shout, it was a shriek. "Judgments!" At their accommodator's command, several large circles in them appeared floating around the twirling hammer, each one containing different kanji symbols. "Fire Stamp: Hellfire and Ash!" He screamed, bringing the Hammer down on one of the symbols. Immediately a pillar of fire appeared in the room, the large fire-snake swirling around and giving a mighty roar.

"Lavi!" shrieked Reever, shielding an unconscious Lenalee from the heat of the blast.

With a battle cry, the snake descended on the white-haired teen. Allen barely had time to throw up a defense before the snake collided with his sword.

_I got him!_ Thought Lavi, willing the snake to continue. But his efforts were futile.

With a cry, Allen shoved the snake aside, sending it crashing into the wall behind him. In the blink of an eye, white ribbons had snaked their way around Lavi's arms and legs, pinning him against the ceiling.

_Shit!_

"Let me go!" Lavi demanded, furiously slashing at the ribbons with his hammer. His friend however wouldn't have any of it. Knocking his friend's weapon aside, Allen flew up to meet Lavi on the ceiling.

As Allen drew back his sward arm, Lavi realized in horror what the boy's intention was.

_Allen._

"Allen!" Reever screamed.

"ALLEN STOP!" Came a loud shriek. The sound of the voice seemed to break into Allen's mind. All of a sudden, Allen found himself on the ground, the black shadow retreating from his skin. The ribbons holding Lavi in place reseeded, letting his body fall to the floor a few feet away from him.

"Eaze-kun!" At the mention of the boy's name Allen's head snapped up. In the middle of the room stood Eaze, his large eyes filled with fear as he looked around the room.

"Eaze!" Allen's voice was shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I heard fighting, and-"

"Fighting?" Allen was confused. "Eaze what do you mean by-" Suddenly the room came into focus and Allen gasped.

"W-what happened here!" He cried. The monitor room was in ruins. Broken computers and equipment burned from the fire in Lavi's attack, while the walls of the room were now crumbling and on fire. In the far corner he could see Reever was bent over something.

In a sickening flash Allen recognized the form beneath Reever's body.

"Lenalee!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Came a scream. Turning around Allen could see Lavi struggling to get up from the pile of rubble. Looking at his friend only made Allen more frightened. Lavi's clothes were torn to shreds, exposing multiple cuts on the teen's side and arms. A dark red stain was starting to form on his right calf where something looked to have pierced the skin.

"Lavi!"

"I'm fine!" replied Lavi, stopping the scientist in his tracks.

"L-lavi," whispered Allen, his voice hoarse. "What happened here?"

"You really don't remember do you?" said Lavi, glaring with his one good eye at his friend.

"What do you mean? What-?"

"The 14th took hold of you Allen." Muttered his friend coldly. "You did this."

Allen's eyes widened.

"I...what?"

"Don't you get it?" asked Lavi, stepping closer to the teen. "_You_ did this. _You_ attacked me. _You_ hurt Lenalee. _You_ destroyed this room!"

Allen's heat stopped.

_What? _No, no he couldn't have done this. He would never hurt his friends. Never.

Then why was Lavi saying he did?

"Reever-san, Reever-san did I really…?" The man's silence was enough of an answer.

"I-I need to go." Allen said, and with that, the boy disappeared, leaving behind him the mess he had created.

***********************************************************************************

Allen slammed the door to his room shut with a loud bang, the pictures on his wall shaking from the force.

What had he _done_?

He caught the monitor room on fire! He nearly killed his best friends! He had scared Eaze so much that the boy was now terrified of him!

His heart still pounding in his chest, Allen began to strip.

He needed a shower. He needed to think.

Looking at his reflection Allen could see new bruises were starting to form on his skin, standing out from the ones Tyki had given him only a few hours ago. The boy's heart clenched as his gaze fell on his neck.

The red mark, the one marking him as Tyki's, the one he had been desperately trying to conceal for weeks, was now completely gone.

The water in the shower was too hot. He didn't care.

_How could I have hurt my friends?_ he thought, the hot water digging into his skin like small bee stings._ Why has the 14th surfaced? Why does everything seem to be falling apart?_

_Where is my Tyki?_

Allen didn't know how long he spent under the water, but when he finally emerged from the bathroom, the clock showed it was almost midnight. The hot water had left his abused skin an angry shade of red, but he hardly noticed as he dressed for the night.

There was noting that he could do to his body that would even come close to what had happened to his mind and heart.

Closing his eyes, Allen laid down on his bed, the coolness of the sheets feeling wonderful on his burnt skin.

A few hours ago Tyki had been sharing this bed with him, and now he was gone.

_Tyki, _Allen asked in his mind, _where have you gone?_

~~~

_Where am I?_ Thought Allen, taking in his surroundings. He was in a room, but not in a room. There was a large canopy bed, a sofa, a fireplace. On the wall sat a small clock, but there were no hands to tell the time. The walls were almost transparent, revealing a bitter blackness beyond.

_In a dream._ Called a voice suddenly.

_Who is there? _He called out with his mind. _Show yourself!_ He heard the noise chuckle softly.

_What's so funny? I said show yourself!_ Suddenly Allen noticed a moving form in the darkness.

_Got you!_ he shouted, running towards the shadow and tackling it to the ground...

...only to see himself grinning right back at him.

_But I am already showing myself._

Allen stumbled backward landing with a soft thud on the black marble floor. _W-who are you?_ He sputtered, his eyes wide.

The person before him…looked _exactly _like him! The face, the hair, even the scars were the same. In every way he was his equal.

What in the world is going on?

His mirror smiled. _I am you._

_That's not possible._

_How do you know it's not possible?_

_Because there is only one of me._

_How do you know that?_

_I just...do! _Thought Allen angrily, his hands balling into fists. 

_You suspect me of being the 14th?_

_How do I know you are not? _

His other self chuckled_. Touché._

_Where am I? I thought I was- _

_Asleep? _His clone finished. _You are Allen._

Looking down at the floor Allen realized his other self was right. Suddenly the floor and walls of the room had disappeared, leaving the two suspended in the empty darkness.

_I told you, this is a dream._ Whispered his twin lightly._ No one will be able to disturb us here_.

_What do you want?_ Asked Allen quietly._ Why are you here? Why am I talking to another version of myself?_

_Because we are conflicted._

The real Allen blinked. _Conflicted? About what?_

His shadow gestured with his arm, and suddenly, an image of Tyki Mikk appeared.

_About him._

The image of Tyki was smiling, his dark hair falling around his face. The sight made the young boy's heart ache.

_Tyki..._

_This is how you see him, isn't it. _Muttered the other boy softly, looking over the image. _This is how you remember him._

_Tyki has always been like this. _replied Allen coldly._ There is no other way to remember him._

_So you are saying that he is innocent?_

_...Yes._

The other Allen turned his head, and the image of Tyki was replaced with another. This time, he was as he used to be, his gray skin blending in with his tuxedo. _But he was a Noah before. What's to say he didn't go back to the Earl?_

_No! He wouldn't do that! _Allen said sternly. _Tyki's changed! You've seen him change yourself! You can't say it never happened!_

_Tyki has always been a man of change. He likes having duel lives._

_But that ended as soon as Eaze came!_

_How do you know? How do you know he wasn't harboring these feelings, these emotions, these cravings, within himself?_

_Because I know him!_

Suddenly the image changed yet again, this time to a memory made only a few hours ago. Lavi's words echoed within Allen's mind.

_"No, you're wrong. You can only see the Tyki that you've known over the past few months. It's like you've completely forgot what he was like before this."_

_Lavi was right, and you know it._ Allen was starting to loose his composure, and he knew his double knew it too.

_But, but he's changed! He really has! If he wanted to go back to the Noah Clan-_

_He would have gone during the Invasion?_ Finished his mirror. _Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. You know as well as I do that Tyki could have only done that to earn our trust._

_How do you-_

_And it worked didn't it? He became a member of the Order shortly after the attack, because they were starting to trust him._

_But the innocence shard-_

_Who's to say the Earl didn't make it? It's made of dark matter, just like the Akuma we fight. _

_But, but, he said he loved us!_ At those words Allen saw his other self flinch. Those words had struck a nerve.

_Tyki's love for us..._ his mirror took a deep breath._ was nothing more than a lie._ Allen froze.

_He only pretended to love us, so he could get close to us, and by doing so distract us from his plans._

Allen couldn't believe he was hearing this from himself.

_No,_ he found himself saying. _No that's not true! You know he loved us, you saw it in his eyes that night._

_But you are forgetting what else we saw._

_Once more the scene began to change. This time, they were going back through Allen's memories._

The time they had found General Yeegar's body hanging from the tree. The night Tyki had killed Suman, almost destroyed his innocence and pierced a hole in his heart... Just like he was doing now. Only, this was a different kind of hole, which no innocence shard could fix.

As Allen looked over his mirror once more, he realized his hand was starting to fade. Within moments, Allen could see right through his own arm.

_W-what is happening to me?_ He cried, his voice full of fear. _Why am I disappearing? What is going on?_

_I am so sorry, Allen._ Were the last words he heard, before disappearing completely.

When Allen awoke the clock read 3:15. The fire was still going, but it's light was fading fast. The boy said nothing as he made his way to the dying fire. There were still a few flames struggling to survive, with but little wood left to burn.

A few more moments passed before the fire finally succumbed to its inevitable fate, but not before revealing the boy curled up by its side, clutching at a small object hanging from his neck. The still glowing embers highlighted a small trickle of water that was now flowing from the boy's eyes. In a flicker, those few flames went out, along with the few remaining pieces of hope in the young boy's heart.

_Tyki._

It was completely dark by the time sobs began to echo throughout the still, somber room.

(A/N) OMG Guys I am SO SORRY! I promised myself I wouldn't let this happen again but I did! God I feel terrible!

To make it up to you expect a TON of chapters to be posted during this week. I haven't uploaded in more than a month, and I need to get back on track and make up for the lost time. If all goes according to plan, I should be uploading 5 NEW CHAPTERS this week.

I am SO sorry this chapter isn't great, but I gave it my best! I hope you guys can forgive me for flaking again!

~AnimeGirl124~


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"You there, scientist number 43, are you done with that contraption yet?"

"I know I know!" shouted Johnny, wiping his sweaty brow with a cloth. "Just a second and I'll be done I swear!"

"Well hurry it up!" Reever glared at the shouting scientist over his shoulder, crunching the data sheet in his hand. That new guy was starting to get on his nerves. What right did he have anyway to barge in here on his own and start giving orders to his men? That was his job, so why the heck did he find himself giving in to the guy?

"Reever-san, is something bothering you?" Twirling around in his seat Reever saw Komui's sister standing behind him, a tray of coffee cups perched in her hand.

"Lenalee-chan!" The girl smiled lightly as she handed her friend his mug.

"What's Caesar-san doing to you now?"

Reever's mouth twisted into a frown as he took a sip of the wake-up juice. "That guy just won't give us a break. We've been at this for over a week, but we still haven't made much ground. And now he shows up and expects us to find a solution in two days? That's just not possible! Even if we stayed up all night it still wouldn't be possible!"

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"Yeah, but he won't listen! Who the hell does he think he is anyway?" Reever took another swig of his drink before slamming the mug on the desk. "Agh this is so frustrating! It's like the guy is trying to be a pest. Johnny's already had enough happen to him, so why does he feel the need to pick on him? And what's with numbering us? The bastard could at least ATTEMPT to remember our names!"

Lenalee sighed and took a sip from her own cup. "I don't know but they're orders from Headquarters so we can't do anything about it." Reever just grumbled, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening.

Time had seemed to fly by after the break-in. Once the CROW had arrived, orders had been given out immediately to start a search for the lost shards. Almost every Finder and Exorcist in the Black Order had been sent away to different parts of the globe, but nothing had been found. Headquarters had even dispatched an elite team of their own CROW, but even it had come back empty handed.

Kanda was in critical condition; the head nurse saying that if Johnny hadn't found Kanda when he did, Kanda would most likely have died, even with his fast-healing abilities. The samurai was still in a medical coma, but was scheduled to be woken up in a few days, if not sooner. Kanda's information was needed as soon as possible, even if it meant going against the head nurse's wishes.

The Science Division however, had gotten the bad end of the stick. Once Hevlaska had given her report on the attack, Headquarters had transferred their best scientists European Branch, in hopes of speeding up the research and development of several new weapons. And sitting at the top of everything, was Caesar Soto. He was Headquarters number one scientist, and he was as arrogant as all get out.

"You there, number 96!" shouted Cesar's voice. "You've had your break! Back to work!" Reever groaned, letting his head fall onto the table. Will that asshole EVER lighten up?

"Well, if there's nothing else you need..."

Ding dong ding dong, ding dong ding dong!

At the sound of the bells, Lenalee froze, before wiping her head towards the chiming clock on the wall.

DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!

"Oh no!" She cried, her expression changing from surprise to horror as she read the time.

Eight o'clock sharp. How could she have not realized what time it was!

"Oi Lenalee where are you going?" Immediately Reever wished he could snatch the words from the air and stick them back in his mouth, but the damage had already been done. The girl's face suddenly became very sad, her shoulders slumping slightly from her usual perky stance.

"Lenalee...I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's ok! Don't worry about it! You've been really busy for the past few days so you forgot and…" Lenalee's voice was desperately trying to sound normal, but the hints of sadness and stress in her voice were unmistakable.

"How is he doing?" Reever asked quietly.

"...Not well." was her only response, before taking off like a bullet towards the elevator, her tray of coffee cups completely forgotten.

"You're late!" Barked the CROW member when Lenalee finally arrived at the door.

"I-I'm sorry!" Came Lenalee's out of breath reply. "There was a long line in the cafeteria and I-"

"I don't care if there was a long line. Feeding the Noah is your responsibility. If you're late once more I'll be talking to Komui about having someone more responsible take over."

"No you can't!" She cried. "Allen needs us right now! If you take me away-"

"Silence!" the masked man shouted; Lenalee fell silent. "You listen here, miss Lenalee, taking care of this boy is not your right, it is a privilege. You are just lucky that Komui-san is your older brother, otherwise we would be in charge of this."

"I understand." She muttered quietly. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." The CROW just snorted, moving away from the door he was standing in front of.

"You have 5 minutes."

"Yes sir." Lenalee knocked on the door lightly, pushing the food cart behind her forward.

"Allen?" She asked tentatively, listening for movement in the room. "Allen it's me, Lenalee. I have breakfast." There was no response. "Look, I even brought dangos, your favorite food." Nothing. Not even the sound of a breath.

"Just go in already." Said the guard. "No matter how much you try he's not going to answer the door himself." Lenalee whirled around, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"I can do whatever I like, sir, if I think it's in Allen's best interest." When he did not reply Lenalee quietly opened the door. She tried to prepare herself but no matter what she did, her heart gave a painful wrench as she stepped through the entrance.

The room was in total disarray.

The bed that was normally nicely made had its sheets strewn across the floor, several torn and others stained with body fluids. There were dirty articles of clothing littering the ground, and the room smelled awful. The pillows had also been torn open, the feathers creating a soft white blanket over the ruined carpet. In the middle of the mess sat Allen, looking into the burning fire. All around him sat plates full of untouched food, several of which were beginning to rot. Through his closed the girl could see her friend has lost weight, the clothes hanging on his body looking empty. On his back were several restraining spell papers, binding him to the room.

Looking at the binding spells on his left arm Lenalee felt a sudden wave of anger.

After the 14th's "attack", Headquarters had ordered her friend be put under house arrest. Lenalee had done everything in her power to prevent it, but the Order could not be persuaded. They didn't want to take any chances of the 14th appearing again. The best she had been able to do was persuade them to let her be Allen's food deliverer.

The boy said nothing as Lenalee walked towards him, his gaze never wavering from the flames.

"Allen?" whispered Lenalee, wheeling the cart to a quiet stop. "Allen, you haven't eaten anything again. Is there something wrong with the food?" Silence. "I saw Eaze at the cafeteria a few minutes ago. He's caught a mild fever, but it's not worth worrying about. As long as he keeps drinking water he'll be fine."

…

"Allen you have to eat. If you don't, you will starve!" As Lenalee crouched in front of her melancholy friend, she noticed that his eyes were red and huge black circles engulfed his eyes. Apparently Allen had been up all night crying again.

Allen said nothing to his friend's plea, only reaching up to grab hold of the swan necklace clasped around his neck.

"Tyki gave this to me on my birthday one month ago." He said, gaze never leaving the fireplace. "He took me to ride on the Ferris wheel, and that is where he gave it to me. The view was so nice." Lenalee felt a sharp pang of empathy from hearing those words.

"Allen…" the boy clutched the bird tightly; a small tear trickled down the side of his face.

"That was also the first time he told me he loved me."

"Allen!" Suddenly all the pent up frustration from two weeks exploded inside of her. Nothing was working! She had tried everything! Talking to him, reading to him, playing with him, but all her efforts were in vain. All she ever did was provoke the same response.

Slowly, Allen tore his gaze from the fire to look at his friend. His eyes seemed to look dead as he faced the girl.

"You need to snap out of this!" Lenalee whispered, the lump in her throat making it hard to speak. "We are all sad that Tyki betrayed us, but there is nothing that we can do about it! Tyki is gone! And we are just going to have to live with that fact. You think that you are the only one having a hard time with him gone? Look at Eaze! He has lost the last object of his past! Imagine how terrible he's feeling!"

Lenalee could not control the tears that began to fall from her face. Allen just looked at her for a moment, then returned his gaze to the fire.

"He kissed me for the first time when he woke up from his coma."

"ALLEN!" She screamed, slapping her hand across the boy's face. "You need to learn to accept the fact that Tyki is no longer here! If any of the Exorcists see him, they are under strict orders to kill him on site! You can never see Tyki again! If you do they'll kill you too! I'm sorry but you can't love him anymore Allen, and you need to accept that!" Lenalee turned from his friend, tears flowing down her face. "We are all worried about you! You haven't eaten in over a week! We miss you!" It was silent in the room for a few moments.

"Lenalee," whispered Allen. Lenalee whipped her head around, unable to believe her ears. For a moment, the old Allen that she knew and loved had come back.

Slowly the boy turned his head toward the girl, fresh tears forming in his eyes. "I know that you are all worried about me, but I don't think you understand. I loved Tyki, more than I have ever loved anyone before. You can never begin to realize how hard it is, to have to accept the fact that the one person you loved most in this world, betrayed you and only came close to you to get something else. I am sorry, but I don't know if I will be able to recover from this one." At those words, Lenalee's heart broke.

Tears falling from her face, the girl dashed out of the room without another word. As the door shut behind her, she heard her name called from down the hall. Lenalee recognized it as Lavi's but she didn't stop until he had caught up with her and grabbed hold of her wrist. Seeing the tears in her eyes Lavi immediately knew Allen's condition had worsened. The read-head said nothing but the girl folded into his arms, feeling her shoulders quiver as she cried.

"Allen's not getting any better!" she sobbed, burying her face into her lover's clothes. "He still hasn't eaten anything, and he's not sleeping anymore. I just don't know what to do!" Lavi just held the girl as she cried into his shirt. After the most of the sobs had subsided he gently pulled Lenalee away until he could see her face.

"What you are doing for him is more than enough." He said as he cupped the girl's cheek in his hand. "But I think Allen is going to have to work this one out on his own." Lenalee gazed into Lavi's eye and nodded, trying to stop crying.

"I know, but it is just so hard to look at him like that!"

"Allen will get better as time passes, I promise you. He's a strong person. I know he can pull through." Lavi, pulled Lenalee into a hug, a small tear forming in his remaining eye. "But right now he just needs some time." Slowly Lenalee nodded, wiping the remains of her tears from her own eyes. Hand in hand, the two made their way down the corridor, all the while thinking of their lost friend.

What they didn't hear however, was the small grunt and light clash of steel on stone, followed by the slow limp of a blue-haired man.

************************************************************************************

Two hours later, there was another knock on Allen's door.

"Mr. Exorcist," came the voice of his guard. "I am afraid you are not allowed to go-"

"Oi! Baka Moyashi! Open this damn door!" shouted another voice, this time followed by several loud pounds on the wooden frame. Inside the room Allen blinked.

"I am sorry but you are not permitted to visit the boy. Allen Walker is a prisoner of war and-"

"I don't give a flying fuck if he's a prisoner of war! He's the reason for all of this shit and I'm going to see him!" Every sound seemed to die as what was presumed a stare-down had begun.

Allen's ear barely twitched at the sound of his door creaking open.

"You have five minutes." Came the voice of his guard. He did not sound happy.

Allen said nothing as Yu Kanda entered his room. His gaze was still fixed on the fire, but moved away to steal a quick look at the samurai.

Kanda's body was covered in bandages. His arms, his legs his waist, were all covered by white strips of cloth. In his hand was Mugen, substituting for a crutch.

Kanda looked around the room in disgust.

"Che, baka moyashi. And I thought you were the neatest person here." he sneered, looking at the clothes littered on the floor. "So this is what happened to the great Destroyer of Time when his boyfriend dumps him."

"What do you want Kanda?" he asked quietly, gaze never leaving the fire. He heard the man snort.

"What? Now I have to have a reason to grace you with my presence?" Allen was silent.

"This is all your fault you know?" Said Kanda suddenly. "If you would've let me kill that bastard when we I had the chance-"

"It was not your place, to decide if he should live or die."

"And it wasn't yours either, baka moyashi." He snarled, hitting the boy over the head.

"Ow!" Allen shouted as he rubbed the bump tenderly. "What the heck Kanda?"

"Because of you, everything is screwed up!" The sound of shattering glass filled the room as Kanda knocked a tower of plates to the ground. "If you hadn't fallen for that goddamn bastard we wouldn't be in this shithole! Now the Innocence is gone, and all you can do is fucking marinate in your own self-pity!"

Allen said nothing, instead choosing to glare at his uninvited guest.

"What happened to all that bravado you had when we first met? All that shit about how you want to save those stupid Akuma's souls, and fight for this damn race, was that all just words to you?"

"That isn't true!"

"Yes it is. Just look at yourself. If we had known all it took was a heartbreak to take you down I would have killed you before you even stepped through the damn door you selfish asshole!

"I'm not being selfish!" He shouted, jumping to his feet.

"Yes you are you insufferable prick! By staying locked up in this damn room you're pretty much saying 'fuck it I don't care about the world! I just care about my own shitty life now that my boyfriend has dumped me!' If you care so much about the world then take responsibility for the fucking mess you created, and get your ass out of there and fight!"

The room was silent once again, as samurai and savior stared one another down. The chime of the clock broke the eerie silence and Kanda snorted, breaking his gaze and turning away from the boy.

"You're beginning to act like the asshole was before he left." Kanda muttered. From behind him Kanda hear Allen's breath catch.

"If he was here," he continued, turning to look at the boy over his shoulder "what would he say about you now?" Allen seemed to stiffen.

Kanda took this as a sign to leave. As he headed towards the door, he heard a soft voice.

It was a faint sound, but there was no mistaking the soft "thank you" that had left the boys lips. The ghost of a smile formed on his own lips as the swordsman left the room.

************************************************************************************

"Order up!" shouted Jerry's voice throughout the dining hall. "Five stacks of pancakes, ten piece of french toast, three waffles, syrup, six omelettes, three bowls of fruit, a gallon of milk, seven orders of hash browns, nine loaves of bread, two jars of butter and jam, two bowls of oatmeal, and a large order of yogurt!"

Lenalee yawned as she made her way back to the order platform. Allen's food was stacked neatly on a food cart, complete with silverware and a gallon of water. Rubbing her eyes the girl began to push the cart down the hallway.

She had gotten up at six am this morning, six! That was an hour earlier than she usually did. But she didn't want to be late, not again. If she lost her visiting rights, she might as well sign Allen's death papers.

When she arrived at the door she found the CROW still standing guard, his back straight and his head looking forward.

"You are early today." He muttered, standing aside.

"Allen?" Asked Lenalee, knocking on the door lightly with her knuckles. "Allen are you in there?" As always, there was no reply. Lenalee's heart sunk. Her head hung low, she pushed the tray into the dark room.

And Lenalee had to cover her mouth with her hands to muffle her gasp.

"What's wrong?" Came the guard's concerned voice. But there was no reply, for Lenalee could not form the words of joy that were screaming in her head.

The room was back to the way it was. The dishes were gone and the clothes had been picked up and stacked neatly on the now clean dresser. Even the bed was straightened up, with clean sheets and full, neat pillows.

"Lenalee!" hissed a voice from the bathroom. Turning her gaze she spotted Allen in the bathroom in front of the mirror. The girl nearly cried out in joy at the sight of her friend.

Allen was dressed in a new set of clothes, and he looked well rested. His hair was damp, and he was tying a bow tie on his shirt. But what was he doing now? His index finger was raised to his lips, and he looked frantic. With a start Lenalee realized the meaning behind the symbol.

"Girl? Ms. Lenalee are you alright?" Asked the guard again.

"N-nothing!" She called. "I just tripped that's all!" She heard the guard grunt and mumble something about "clumsy women", but she didn't care. Right now she didn't care about anything else except what she was seeing. Raising her hand to her face, her eyes began to water with not tears of sadness, but joy.

"Lenalee." said Allen quietly, a small smile forming on his lips. "Come in."

"Allen!" She whispered, running to hug the boy. "You're all better!" Allen hugged the girl back, a smile showing on his face.

"Yeah, somewhat."

"Come with me!" she said grabbing hold of his hand. "Everyone is so worried about you! You haven't eaten in a week!" Lenalee paused when Allen didn't reply.

"I'm sorry Lenalee, but we can't see our friends right now. In fact, I need your help." Lenalee just stood there, too shocked to say anything.

"...What?"

"Lenalee, can you do something for me?"

"What do you want me to do?" asked the girl cautiously. What was with his serious expression? It was starting to frighten her.

"I need you to leave. Can you do that for me?"

"But, but why?" Allen smiled softly.

"Because I'm leaving." He whispered in her ear. It was then that she noticed that Allen had a suitcase next to him. Suddenly all the pieces connected and Lenalee's heart broke.

"Allen, you can't go after him."

"Why not?" he asked, looking her in the eye.

"Because you're under arrest! If the guards find out that you've gone..."

"They'll what?" Lenalee was taken back by the calmness in his voice.

"They'll put me under house arrest longer? Lenalee they can't do anything to me if I'm not here."

"But the tracking and binding spells-"

"Tim has already taken care of those. They're useless now, see?" As if to prove his point, Allen reached behind him and silently plucked several of the paper spells from his back.

"But you shouldn't go after him!" She nearly shouted, but covered her mouth. "But you shouldn't go after him." she whispered in a softer voice.

"Lenalee, I'm not looking for him to come back." reassured the boy, grabbing her hand. Lenalee could feel him shaking. "I am going to track him down and retrieve the Innocence."

"You're what?" she hissed, her eyes widening.

"I'm going to track Tyki down and retrieve the Innocence," he repeated, his gaze unwavering.

"But, but you can't! We've sent out every Finder and Exorcist available, and they still haven't found him!"

"I know, but this is something I have to do." The grip on Lenalee's hand tightened.

"Allen, are you…angry about something?" Allen turned away, releasing Lenalee's hand.

"No." came his quiet reply.

"Allen, you do realize that all Exorcists are ordered to kill Tyki on sight right?" Allen did not face his friend.

"Yes."

"Allen, I don't think-"

"If the only way to retrieve the Innocence is to kill him, then I will." He muttered quietly, facing his friend again. It was then that Lenalee saw Allen was no longer wearing the swan necklace.

"Allen…"

"I'm going." Said the boy, picking up his bag. "I should be back before the end of the month. Take care of Eaze while I am gone." Lenalee knew it was pointless to talk to him farther. With tears in her eyes, she hugged the boy once more.

"We'll miss you, Allen." She said, pulling the boy close. Allen smiled and hugged his friend back.

"I will miss you guys too." Allen pulled away to wipe a tear from Lenalee's face. "But I will be back before you know it." Allen released his friend and headed toward the window. "Once I'm gone, be sure to pretend like nothing is wrong. If the guards find out that you know I left while you were here-"

"Don't worry." she whispered, putting. "I won't tell a soul." Allen smiled at her, but she could tell it was false.

"If you can keep bringing food up here they'll think that I'm still here. They won't question the silence." Lenalee nodded. "You can tell them later that you discovered I was gone one day if you have to, but I'd prefer you not to unless it's absolutely necessary. The more time I have to get a head start the better."

"Can I at least tell Lavi?" Allen was silent for a moment.

"You can if you want."

"Girl your time is almost up." called the CROW's stern voice.

"Coming!" She called back.

"I will see you soon." And with that, the boy disappeared, leaving Lenalee alone in his room.

As Lenalee turned to leave however, she spotted something round lying at the bottom of the fireplace. Curious, she walked over to the curious object. Her heart fell as she realized it was the same necklace Tyki had given to Allen. But now instead of being pure white, the beautiful swan was covered in a layer of dark soot, dying the bird a dark shade of black. Lenalee picked up the necklace and hugged it close to her. _Allen,_ she thought, tears falling from her face. _What in the world has that man done to you?_

(A/N) Wow looks like my plans to upload the rest of my fanfic in one week over 3 months ago went to shit. Had to got to Italy for 2 weeks, study for finals, have finals, graduate, go to a party, go camping, go backpacking, take a math placement test, go to orientation, and take a college class. Not to mention I have work on top of all of this. -_-

God I am SO SORRY for doing this to you all again! I know how it feels to be left hanging waiting for an update for a story you read, and I promised I wouldn't do it again but I did. But man I've been so busy; I haven't even had summer yet! I'll try to upload another chapter not next week but the week after that. Hopefully I'll get this whole story done by the end of the summer.

Again, SO SORRY!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

God was it HOT outside! Tyki felt as if his blood was going to boil at any moment, beads of sweat slipping down his face to evaporate in the dry earth below. The grainy sand was hot beneath his sandals, causing blisters to form on the soles of his feet. There was no refuse from the devil gleaming in the sky. In fact it seemed to delight in torturing anything it could catch in its rays. Already he had sweated through his best tuxedo, and was now forced to wear clothing appropriate for a beach, exposing his already sunburnt skin to the hot air.

"Tyki-sama?" The mechanical voice shot through his brain like a sharp needle, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. "Tyki-sama, where would you like us to-?"

"Just set it over there." He motioned his hand blindly towards the corner of the room. "I'll bottle it in a while." The machines did as they were told, setting the pot next to several others in the shade before making their way towards their master's bedside.

"Is any cold water left?"

"No Tyki-sama I'm afraid you drank the last bottle this morning." Tyki groaned, covering his face with his arm.

"Noah-sama?"

"Just let me rest, please." He moaned, the mattress squeaking under his weight. "My headache isn't getting any better with you two around."

"Road-sama should be back by tomorrow morning if-."

"I know just, get some more food or something alright? I just need some space right now." The two demons looked at each other quickly, before slipping outside quietly, their motors whining softly in the heat. 

Stumbling from the hut Tyki looked up towards the sky. The sun seemed to be on its decent, the light beginning to cast dark shadows across the sand. He'd have to be quick. Looking outward he surveyed the land slowly. The wind and sand seemed to whistle through the dead town. Wooden beams stuck up through the grainy hills, their splinters sanded smooth from decades of weather. Even the houses had sand in them, along with a few broken chairs and tables.

_So different from the Order._

Thinking about his old home Tyki felt his heart give a painful lurch. He couldn't go back, not now. Road had already taken the Innocence shards to the Earl, and it would be impossible to take them all back. Through his actions Tyki had destroyed every ounce of trust he had worked so hard to earn in a matter of minutes, and he doubted he would ever be able to gain it back. Not that it mattered now anyway. There was nothing left to return to. He had cut off all relations to his family there, and while it had been...difficult, there was no turning back. He had done the right thing, he was sure of it.

Then why did everything feel so _wrong_?

Ducking his head back inside Tyki retrieved one of the pots the Akuma had set down. Road was coming back from her visit with the Millennium Earl tomorrow morning, and she'd probably be irked if there wasn't any cold water waiting for her when she got back.

Placing the pot of water on a rock Tyki looked to the west, eyeballing the angle of the daystar. Carefully, Tyki moved one the mirrors Road had given him underneath the large hole in the roof. Immediately the light photons caught on the object, bouncing off the reflective surface at a sharp angle.

One by one Tyki moved the mirrors, angling them towards a pile of dried leaves and twigs he had stacked under the pot of water.

Now all he had to do was wait. Sometimes the hellish sunlight could come in handy. In about a minute the brush should catch fire, allowing him to boil the life-saving liquid. If he didn't boil the water before sunset, he'd have to go thirsty again. He wouldn't dare drink the water before it had been boiled. For all he knew, it could be full of bugs and parasites that could kill him. He didn't want to take any chances.

"Tyki-sama," said a Level 3 Akuma, flying slowly into the house. "Road-sama told you not to light a fire this late in the evening. The light could be seen by an enemy." Tyki said nothing as he stoked already smoking twigs, sitting down on a broken chair. "Tyki-sama."

"Go away and pretend like you didn't see me." The Ex-Noah muttered quietly, his back turned towards the machine. "Just patrol the area."

"But Tyki-sama-"

"That is an order!" Tyki said more sternly, watching as the dried palm leaves finally caught fire. The Akuma said nothing as it disappeared into the horizon. It was beginning to get dark, and Tyki was starting to feel tired. After heating the water, he would grab some bread to eat before going to sleep on his straw mattress.

Moving from the chair to lie on the bed the lonely man could see the first glints of stars poking through the holes in the roof. Tyki gave them one long glance before turning over on his mattress and entering a deep sleep.

He dreamt of Allen again. He dreamt of being able to hold the boy in his arms once more, to kiss those soft, pale lips. He wished he would never wake up, that he would stay frozen in this moment for eternity, never leaving Allen's side again.

A loud bang shattered his tortuous sleep, jolting the man back to his harsh reality. The first thing he noticed was the smell. It hung in the air like a thick blanket, clogging his senses and making his eyes water. In horror Tyki recognized the smell immediately. The smell of burning wood.

"Shit!" Grabbing his blanket Tyki threw it over the flames that were now beginning to eat away at the moldy wood walls of the building. Desperately he looked to the far corner of the room where the pails of water had rested. There was no liquid in them now.

Tyki growled in frustration. How could he have been so stupid? He had only meant to nap but instead had fallen asleep with the fire going, and now come morning he might have to move to another building. Assuming the fire didn't already spread to the rest of the ghost town.

"Oi Akumas! Akumas where are you?!" He shouted into the night air as he ran from the shack. He had to get some water. If he could just get to the oasis he could get some water to pour on the burning building. Dashing back inside to grab a metal pot Tyki ran down the slope to the water's edge.

By the time he returned the fire had spread to consume the wall his bed was resting against. The water hissed like a snake as soon as it hit the flames, most of it turning to steam in a matter of seconds. Cursing loudly Tyki ran out again to replenish his water stock. Where _were_ those stupid Akuma? He couldn't do this alone. He had to get help, now! A beam from the ceiling had already been burned through, its charred remains now lying on the ground a few feet away from him.

_That must have been the loud noise I heard-_

"Tyki-sama!" came a loud shriek. With relief Tyki saw the small figure of an Akuma approaching him in the darkness.

"Finally!" He shouted, dipping the pot in the water again. "Where the hell have you been? Do realize that-" Tyki's sentence died in his throat before he could finish. The Akuma was missing both of its legs, and had a huge hole through the bottom half of its body.

_This day just keeps getting better and better._ He thought grimly.

"Tyki-sama, hide! They've come for you they-" The doomed machine never finished his warning; a few moments later a large sword sliced the demon in half, it's carcass to combusting into flame, adding to the large bonfire that was the town.

Tossing the pot aside Tyki found himself confronted with a hooded figure. The attacker was average height, but stood quite a few inches shorter than Tyki's eye level. The light tan cloak that was draped over his shoulders obscured his face. From underneath the silver star of the Black Order shown proudly on his chest.

Tyki snorted. "Oi Oi you can try all you like but I'm not going to be captured so easily. Innocence-"

The attack hit Tyki square in the chest, breaking several ribs as his limp body collided with the side of a wall. Tyki didn't feel the pain though. He didn't even notice that he had been attacked until he found his vision skewed from lying on his side. His attacker had grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, holding him in the air like he was nothing more than a child's toy. But there was no mistaking the white hair that was visible out of the corners of the hood, and that beautiful black claw that protruded from his arm. The exorcist threw back his hood Tyki's heart soared as he looked into the same gray eyes he had fallen in love with back in the Order.

"Allen." His name was barely a whisper, a cry to god from a fallen angel. His heart was screaming with joy, but his mind was crying in agony. No. No he wasn't supposed to see him again. Not here. Not now. Not ever. "How did-?"

"CROWN EDGE!" Shouted the boy. Tyki barely had time to activate his Innocence and shove himself away before the assault hit him full force. His body had broken through the wall, landing on several mounds of charred wood.

"ALLEN!" he shouted as he struggled to stand. "What are you-?" But one look at his lovers face told Tyki everything he needed to know. The boy's face was soft, flawless, devoid of all emotion. But he knew better. He could see the cold steel that had now shown in his gaze. As Tyki's sight traveled down to the boy's neck any hopes that had lain in his heart were extinguished. The swan necklace that Tyki had given Allen for his birthday was gone. Tyki suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side as his mind cleared of shock.

"EDGE END!" In a few seconds the burning hut collapsed on top of him, the hot flames burning into the Ex-Noah's clothes and skin.

"CROWN BELT!" shouted the boy, lifting his arm to Tyki. In the blink of an eye Tyki found himself mummified by Allen's assault.

_Shit!_ Thought Tyki, pulling against the restrains. The man looked up to see Allen raise his sword, and in that moment time seemed to stop.

_He wouldn't_...

Then what was Allen doing here?

_Would...he?_

He was...attacking him. The man could see, could feel, the anger and _hate_ that emanated from boy's silent body.

Tyki smiled softly and closed his eyes.

"I love you."

Allen brought down the sword.

Tyki waited. Waited to feel the sword plunge deep into his chest, feel his darkened blood flow from his dammed body, staining and corrupting everything it touched. But it would not touch Allen. No, it would steer clear of him, like a demon shying away from the light of God. But he felt nothing. No pain, no resentment, no relief. Slowly the man opened his eyelids, and his heart stopped for the second time that night.

"HOW DARE YOU?" shouted the boy, his face inches away from Tyki's. "How dare you do this to me you bastard! I'm about to kill you and all you can say is 'I love you?' God dammit!" Allen's fist landed just shy of Tyki's left eye, leaving a large indentation in the burning wood.

"Why did you betray us?" He whispered quietly. Tyki said nothing as he took his ex-lover's face. Small rivers of tears were now beginning to trickle his delicate cheeks. The sword above his head protruded slightly from the flames, before disappearing to reconnect with its owner's stump.

"Why?" He screamed again, the fallen tears staining the sand below a dark brown. Slowly, Allen released his binds on Tyki before falling forward. Tyki caught the boy before he hit the ground and hugged him close. "Why did you steal all of the Innocence?" whispered Allen, warm tears landing lightly on the man's shoulder. "Why did you steal our hope? Why did you hurt Kanda? Why did you leave me?"

"Allen…"

"Why?" the malice was back in Allen's voice, the boy pulling away from Tyki's embrace. But Tyki wouldn't have any of it, grabbing the boys cursed arm and enveloping him in a deeper embrace.

"Allen," whispered the man, pulling the boy close to him once more. "I am so sorry."

"For what? For betraying us? For hurting us? For hurting me?"

"Allen I-"

"Did I really not matter to you, Tyki?" 

"…"

"Answer me!"

"…Allen," Cupping the boys face in his hands Tyki smiled. "I love you. I thought you knew that." Allen tore away.

"NO!" he shouted. "No, you never loved me! You only got close to me so you could steal the only hope we had! You NEVER loved me!"

"No! No Allen, I love you more than anyone else in this world. Please believe me!"

"How?" Asked Allen as he wiped his face. "How can I believe you now? After everything that you have done to me?" Tyki turned away from the boy's gaze, not having a reply. "I…I loved you, Tyki Mikk."

Tyki stiffened.

"I loved you with all my heart, and you turned around and betrayed me. How can I believe you now?"

"Allen…" Suddenly the man could not take it anymore, and pulled the boy up to crush his own lips against his lover's. As Tyki moved his lips against the boy's, he could feel Allen struggling against him, trying to get free. But Tyki only held him closer, turning his head to deepen the kiss. At the moment, Tyki was filled with the most joy he had ever felt in his life. Throughout all the time that the two had been together, Allen had never said that he loved the man. Even during their night together, it was only Tyki who said he loved him afterward. Hearing those words now, was the one thing that he had wanted to hear in the world.

"Allen." he panted as he released the boy's lips only to pull him into a tight hug. "I love you more than I can describe." Lovingly he pulled boy's face to his. "And to hear you tell me you feel the same, makes me so happy."

This time, when Tyki kissed him, Allen could not resist. He kissed him back with every ounce of passion that he had in his body. Tyki could feel Allen's emotions burning through his lips, and he suddenly felt very sad. He had made Allen go through so much suffering, had lied to him and betrayed him, and now he was kissing the boy so hard he was trembling. He could understand why his lover was like this. After a few moments, Tyki released the gasping boy and looked deep into his eyes.

"Allen, I am so sorry for what I did to you, but you have to understand that I did it for the good of the Black Order." Allen frowned.

"…I don't believe you."

"Allen-"

"Tyki!" Tyki froze, his whole body seizing up like a frightened cat. He recognized the voice.

"Tyki?"

_Road!_

"Where are you? I want to have a word with you!"

"Hide!" Allen made no attempt to move. "Allen! This is no time to be stubborn! Just hide and I'll tell you everything later ok?" Allen seemed to contemplate the request for a few moments, before exhaling in mild frustration, ducking behind one of the few buildings left standing.

"What in the world happened here?!" Road cried, looking and the flames consuming the town. "Tyki? Tyki where are you? Come out!" She sounded panicked.

"Road!" cried Tyki as he ran into view. "Could you please help me out? I've been-."

"Tyki!" she snapped. "What happened to the town? And _why_ are the Akumas that I left here gone?"

"I don't know."

"Liar!"

"Road, can we just leave the matter alone for tonight? I'm tired and I don't really want to deal with this right now."

"How are you, excuse me, how are _we_ going to sleep if we no longer have a house to stay in?" She was refusing to drop the subject. Tyki groaned inwardly.

"We'll figure something out. Now can you _please_ help me put out the fire?"

"Not until you tell me how it started." Tyki sighed.

"I forgot to put the fire out before going to bed alright? It's my fault I'm sorry I didn't think it through." Road's eyes narrowed as she looked her uncle over.

"And the Akumas?"

"They caught on fire while helping me douse the flames." It was a poor lie, but it was the best he could come up with given the situation. 

"I believe you." She finally stated after a minute. "I'll help you clean up this mess, but first, the Earl has a message for you." Tyki paused.

"The Earl has a message…for me?" His niece nodded.

"He says he's thankful that you finally listened to reason. In his words 'It would have been a pity to loose someone as talented as Tyki-pon.' That being said, the Earl is not happy with you. If Skin's Noah had died…well, you know." Tyki got the message.

"Have you found him yet?"

Road smiled. "No, but we have a pretty good idea where he is."

"Will I get to see him?'

"Maybe. The preparations are all ready, and now all we need is the Heart."

"What did he say about my request? Will he be saved?"

His niece turned away. "No. Your request has been denied."

"Innocence, Activate!" he screamed, his arm transforming. "Cle-!"

"Shackles."

In less than a second Tyki found himself pinned to the wall, Innocence deactivated. Tyki looked over to see Allen get ready to spring from his hiding place. _No!_ He shouted in his mind. Allen stopped. _Don't move from there!_ Allen was still for a few moments, before understanding, and sitting back down.

"Now as long as you are just hanging there, I would advice you to listen well, Tyki Mikk." Said his niece, brushing the dust off her skirt and forcing her uncle to look at her. "I have strict orders to return you to our family as a prisoner of war. We can't have you interfering with the Ritual now can we? Your Innocence will be taken and destroyed, and then you are to be imprisoned until the Ritual is over, after which you will be executed." Suddenly Road grinned. "Although, why don't I just kill you know? Cut you out of my list of chores to take care of." Tyki felt his heart froze over.

"You wouldn't do that. Noah or not, I'm still family."

"Not anymore." Road said quietly. "The only thing that binds out family together are our Noah powers. Seeing as you no longer have any, I am free to treat you as any other pathetic human."

"The Earl will find out. Your _father _will find out."

"True. But you know, this fire could make really good cover-up story. After all it wasn't like I was around to stop the fire before it was too late." Tyki's blood froze.

"Your body will burn in this fire, leaving no trace of you."

"So this fire-"

"Was all part of my plan. I ordered the Akuma to spread the fire as soon as you fell asleep. I was hoping you would have died then, but it looks like you woke up first. Killing you shouldn't be too hard though, and it's not like there are any other witnesses." Road's voice took on a high-pitched tone. "'I tried to save him Earl-sama I really did, but alas I came too late. The burns on his body were too severe for me to treat.'" She laughed. "And you know what? I'd actually be doing myself _two _favors. Not only will you be dead, but I'll free up Allen in the process."

"ROAD!"

"Shackles." In the blink of an eye, Allen found himself pinned on the wall next to Tyki.

"How-?"

"How did I know you were there? Oh please I've known the whole time. You're the only one who could have made those claw marks on the building." She said, cupping Allen's face. Suddenly an idea dawned on her, and she turned to her uncle and smirked.

"Hey Tyki," she said, not releasing her hold on Allen. "How much do you love this boy?" Tyki did not answer her. Road smiled. "I take it you love him enough, to be angry if I did this?" Road's eyes flashed as she pulled the boy into a kiss. Allen was caught off guard by the movement, too stunned to move.

"Road!" shouted Tyki, pulling against the restrains. However, the action was futile, and only made the man tired. Allen struggled with all his might, trying to break free from Road's kiss. However it wasn't until Allen bit down on Road's tongue that she finally released the panting boy.

"You'll pay for that Allen." Road said coolly, glaring at the boy. "Shackles!" she shouted. "Pain!" Suddenly, Tyki's body was filed with a hot white pain, and he cried out in pain.

"TYKI!" shouted Allen, struggling against his bonds. "TYKI!"

"I will stop if you give me a proper kiss Allen." Said Road, an evil grin stretched across her face.

"Don't!" Tyki gasped, trying to ignore the pain. "Don't!"

"Increase!" shouted Road, making Tyki cry out again.

"TYKI!"

"ALLEN!" shouted Road, turning to face him. Allen looked to Road, to Tyki, back to Road.

"FINE!" Road didn't need a second invitation, before she captured Allen's lips again.

"NO!" shouted Tyki, but was silenced by another increase of pain. Allen felt bile rise in his throat as he felt Road's tongue invade his mouth. A full minute passed before Road finally released him. Tyki was hanging, panting, on the wall next to them. Road licked her lips.

"Thank you Allen." She said, turning to her uncle. "Now, back to the matter at hand."

"You witch."

"Call me what you want Tyki, but it's not going to-." Without warning Road stopped. "I actually just had a brilliant idea." Tyki didn't like the sound of her voice. Leaning over Allen's still panting frame, Road placed the faintest of kisses on his forehead. Immediately Allen's body began to seize, his body convulsing violently against the Shackles. His mouth was open in a wordless scream.

"Allen!" shouted Tyki, pulling at the restraints once more. "ALLEN!"

But the boy could not hear him. His body felt as if it was on fire, burning slowly across the surfaces of his skin. Inside he could feel a sharp pain in his head, something drilling against his skull trying desperately to get inside. _No!_ He screamed within. _No! Don't let it in! Fight it! Don't let it-._ Allen couldn't even scream as he felt the black sludge enter his mind.

"Free!" Shouted Road, and the Shackles released, Allen's body falling to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Road!" shouted Tyki, swinging his head around to face his niece. "What have you done to him?" Road just smiled.

"Oh not much yet. I guess you could say I'm just helping him make up his mind."

"About what?"

"You."

Deep within the confines of his mind, Allen heard a voice.

"_Allen."_

"_Who's there? 14__th__ is that you?"_

"_He left you. Deserted you. Betrayed you."_

"_Road!"_

"_Kill him. Make him feel the pain you feel."_

"_No!"_

"_He's a Noah. Noah's cannot love."_

"_He loves me!"_

"_Kill him. Kill him, Kill Him, KILL HIM!" _And slowly, his body began to move.

"Allen!" said Tyki, relieved to see that the boy was still alive. "Are you ok?" Slowly, the boy turned to face his lover, and Tyki's heart stopped. Allen's eyes had turned an unnatural grey, his gaze now vacant. Suddenly, the boy spoke, but it wasn't in his usual voice.

"Innocence," said the strange voice. "Activate." Road smirked as the boy's left hand transformed into a claw. _Kill him. _ Allen seemed to freeze for a moment, then slowly, Allen began to walk towards Tyki.

"Allen!" said Tyki, starting to look worried. "What are you doing?" It was then he noticed the purple streaks marking his left eye. Tyki's face turned pale as he realized what Road had done to the boy. "Kill him."

"Don't listen to her Allen!" shouted Tyki, cutting of the girl's command. "Don't listen to her! You are strong! You can fight against her!"

"Don't even bother Tyki. I'm barely using any control. You and I both know that deep down; this is what Allen really wants. I'm just amplifying his heart's desires to help him make up his mind."

"You're lying!"

"I wish I was Tyki, but let's face it, if you break up with the Destroyer of Time, he's going to be pissed." Road turned to Allen and smiled. "Kill him."

"Allen! If you can hear me please! I love you! Remember who I really am!"

Allen seemed to pause for a moment. Road's eyes narrowed.

"Kill him!" she ordered again, this time louder than before. Allen seemed to shake himself, before raising his claw.

"Allen! Fight her! I love you Allen! Fight her! You can overcome this! Fight it!" Allen's body seemed to stop. As Tyki watched his lover, he could see the boy's body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Ty…ki." Muttered Allen's mouth.

"KILL HIM!" screeched Road, hoping to her feet. "KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM **NOW**!"

"ALLEN!"

"Goodbye, Tyki Mikk." Called Road, as Allen brought his claw down. Tyki turned away, again waiting for the pain to begin, but feeling nothing. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of Allen's claw protruding from his niece's chest.

"Wha?" Stuttered Road, turning to look at her attacker. "How-?"

"I…nno…cence," Allen wheezed, irises hidden behind his hair. "Ac…ti…vate!" Road let out a loud scream as the claw transformed into a sword within her. "Crown clown!" He said, his voice gaining strength. Road let out another loud cry as she felt the sword plunge in deeper, black blood flowing from her chest like a river.

"Damn it!" she shrieked, before collapsing onto the floor. As she fell, the restraint on Tyki's arm's disappeared, and the man ran over to Allen.

"Innocence, activate!" he shouted, running over to the boy and his niece.

"I won't let you!" shouted his niece, encasing them in a box.

"Hell's punishment!" shouted Tyki, shattering the container.

"Crown Belt!" shouted Allen, encasing the girl in white ribbons.

"Damn it!" shouted Road, trying to break free. "Release me at once!"

"Not going to happen Road." Said Tyki, appearing behind her. _Crap!_ Thought Road, realizing the position that she was in. Tyki raised his arm. "Hell's-"

"Stop it Tyki!" shouted Road, looking at her uncle. "Don't do it! I'm family!" Tyki seemed to freeze at the word family. "What will your brother do when he finds out that his brother killed his daughter?" asked Road, looking terrified. "Are you really going to kill your own niece?"

"Tyki!" shouted Allen, holding on to the ribbons. "If you're going to attack do it now! I can't hold on much longer!" Suddenly, Road felt Tyki's hand enter her body. "Allen."

"Tyki." Screeched Road.

"On the count of three, release her and get as far away as you can from here."

"Tyki!" shouted Road, her eyes lighting up with fear.

"One."

"Tyki, stop!" Shouted Road, struggling against the white ribbons.

"Two."

"Tyki! I am your niece! I am family!" she cried.

"Three!" Allen released the girl, just as a light appeared from inside her. "Hell's Freedom." Tyki whispered.

"TYKI!" Road screeched, as her body lit up from inside. The white light lit up the desert, turning the night sky into day. When the light finally reseeded, Road was laying face down in the sand, a dark puddle forming underneath her broken body.

"I am sorry, Road." Whispered Tyki, as he leaned down to brush the hair from his niece's face.

"Tyki…" called a voice. Tyki looked up to see Allen floating above him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Muttered Tyki, looking at his gloved hand. "I knew that this day would come, from the moment I decided to join forces with you."

"Tyki…" Suddenly, Allen's arm lit up. As Allen landed in the sand, he saw that Tyki's left glove was lit up as well. _What the?_ In a flash of light, Tyki's left glove slid itself onto Allen's hand. When the light reseeded, both were amazed to see the Innocence in Allen's arm had taken on a different appearance. Instead of the usual glowing cross, a red crystal heart was imbedded in Allen's left hand.

"Of course!" said Tyki, looking at the boy's hand. "This would explain why our Innocence fragments were always drawn to each other. Our Innocence combined creates the heart!"

"What? Is that really possible?" Tyki asked, sounding incredulous.

"I don't know. If we can just get back to Headquarters we can-." Without warning the Heart began to pulse in Allen's hand.

"What-?" _Boom-boom._

_Boom-boom._

_Boom-boom._

"It's…pumping." Said Tyki, fascinated. "Just like a real heartbeat."

_Power-up 1% _

"What was that?" Asked Allen.

"What was what?"

"That voice."

_Power-up 5%_

"There was no voice Allen." Said Tyki, but he sounded worried.

"Yes there was. I think…I think it's in my head."

_Power-up 15%_

"Is it Road?" Tyki said as he threw a look at the still body of his niece.

"No. It's a woman's voice. And it's counting."

_Power-up 27%_

"What's it saying?"

"It's…I don't know. I'm feeling…really weird right now."

_Power-up 45%_

"Weird? What do you mean?"

"Tyki, Tyki help me please think something is wrong." Suddenly Allen collapsed, the Heart's pounding ceasing completely before splitting into two pieces once more.

_Power-up 52% Failed._

"Allen!"

"Damn Innocence." The boy muttered.

"Allen!" shouted Tyki, looking worried. "What is wrong?" Allen looked dazed as he looked up to his lover. "Sorry, Tyki." Muttered the boy. "But could you…return me to the Black Order?"

"Allen! What is wrong with you?" Asked Tyki, starting to become frantic.

"I don't know." Said the boy quietly. Allen was fading fast. "Just take me back." And with that, the boy passed out.

"Allen?" No reply. "Allen!" shouted Tyki, shaking the boy. The teen did not stir. Tyki looked up to the sky. Quietly, Tyki picked up the sleeping boy in his arms, and walked away from the area.

What Tyki did not see, was the small smirk that spread across Road's face.

(A/N)

I have NO excuse for not updating this story in over a year. I feel completely ashamed of myself and I hope you all can forgive me. If you want a reason feel free to check out my dA page (I wrote a long journal about it a while ago). I know this chapter isn't the best, but if I tried to nitpick at it any more I would never get around to uploading it. I promised you guys I would finish this story though, and I will make good on that promise even if it kills me. I hope you enjoyed!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Allen awoke lying facedown in something soft. The crisp smell of clean sheets and down feathers clogged his senses as he took in a deep breath. A bright light hanging above blinded him as he opened his eyes, the white sheets ruffling quietly as he shielded his pupils with his arm.

Sitting upright Allen took a few moments to analyze his surroundings, and quickly concluded he was in the hospital wing back at the Black Order. The white walls of the room smelt slightly of cleaning solution, the air feeling stiff and dry in his lungs. Seemingly without warning the memories of his encounter with Tyki resurfaced in his mind, causing him to sigh lightly. Feeling something heavy on his leg Allen looked down to find a peacefully sleeping Lenalee. As if sensing his gaze, the sleeping girl's form began to stir.

"Hm? Oh! Allen! You're awake!" Lenalee grinned, embracing the boy in a large hug.

"Yeah." Releasing his friend Allen looked around the room. "How did I get back?" Lenalee frowned.

"You don't remember?"

"Not exactly," Allen answered sheepishly. "But my guess is Tyki-" suddenly the memory of the Heart flashed into his mind. "Lenalee! We figured out where the Heart is!"

"We are aware of that, Mr. Walter." Said a voice from the doorway.

"Link!" Lenalee sounded genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I have been charged in overseeing Mr. Walker's immediate recovery, as well as his eventual training with the Heart." The man answered curtly, ignoring her gaze, instead choosing to look at her friend.

"Training?" Asked Allen.

"From what your golem's recordings show, you fainted while trying to activate the Heart did you not?" Allen nodded. "We ran some scans on your body when you arrived, and it seems as if most of your energy reserves were completely drained during the process. As a result you were put into a medical-induced coma to allow your body time to recover."

"A coma?"

"However, now that you are awake, the Great Generals and Mr. Lvellie are expecting to meet with you about the Heart. There, you will attempt to synchronize with the Heart once more, alone and free from distractions. That is all."

"Wait Link-san, what do you mean by 'alone'? Where's Tyki?" Allen watched Link's face carefully, looking for any signs of the teen lying to him.

"The traitor Tyki Mikk was detained and put in solitary confinement the moment he arrived. His innocence shard has been confiscated and is currently being held in a secure location far away from his influence." Allen looked down.

"…I guess that means there is no chance of me being able to see him is there."

"Definitely not. I am under strict orders to not allow any contact between you and Mr. Mikk until the nature of the Heart has been determined."

"Well, if that has to be the case, is there a chance that you could visit him for me? As the second user of the Heart, he deserves to know that I am alive at least."

"Allen!" Cried Lenalee in alarm. "That syncing process nearly killed you! There is no way you can expect-"

"On the contrary Ms. Lenalee, Mr. Walker will find that most of his energy has been restored with the help of the Head Nurse, and we _do _expect Mr. Walker to attempt to sync with the Heart again within the hour."

"But-"

"Mr. Walker you will have until 2pm to grab something to eat, and then you will be escorted straight to the ground floor of the Science Department. There we have set aside a room where you will be closely monitored while you preform the synchronization alone and free of distractions. That is all."

"Wait Link-san!" Said Allen, stopping the man in his tracks. "Please. For me, please visit Tyki and let him know what's going on." Link was silent for a few moments. Finally:

"If you cooperate with your training, I will consider it." And with that the young man disappeared into the hallways of the hospital wing.

"Allen you can't seriously be thinking about trying to sync with the Heart so soon are you?" Asked Lenalee once she was sure Link was out of earshot.

"If there's any hope of us defeating the Earl, then I'll have to learn how to control the Heart sooner or later. And since Tyki and I are back why not start now? Besides the Earl is going to figure out something's happened to Road when she doesn't come back."

"What do you mean something's happened to Road? Allen what exactly happened to you both? You were gone for over two months, and all of a sudden Tyki shows up carrying what looks like your dead body." Allen looked down, his eyes hidden behind his hair.

"I found Tyki hiding in the middle of the Sahara Desert. I was lucky enough to run into a few nomads who claimed they saw several travelers make their way into the desert a few weeks ago, two of who matched my description. They said that several of them came back every week to get supplies but they never stayed long."

"Akuma." Allen nodded.

"I managed to follow them back evening and ran into their camp. I killed the Akuma and fought with Tyki for a while, and then Road came, and fought the both of us. That's how we discovered the Heart."

"Wait a minute Allen if that's true, then what happened to Road?" Allen grimaced.

"Tyki killed her." Lenalee's eyes widened.

"He killed her? One of his own family?" Allen nodded. "That's why it's so important for me to start my training right away. Once the Earl realizes Road is gone he's going to investigate. And when he finds he's lost another Noah he's going to be very angry to say the least."

"That may be true," Lenalee tried to counter, "but still you only just recovered. You could at least wait a day or two." Allen frowned.

"To tell you the truth, I'd actually prefer that, but once the Earl realizes Tyki's gone he will without a doubt come back to retrieve him."

"But Allen-"

"But nothing Lenalee. As an exorcist it is my duty to help the Order as much as I can. And if that means starting my training today then I will do so without a fight." Looking at the determination in Allen's eyes Lenalee admitted defeat. She knew that once Allen set his mind on something, there was no changing it.

"Alright. But…just be careful ok? While it's important to weaponize the Heart, it's also important to keep its wielder alive." Allen looked down.

"I'm not sure that's really a priority right now Lenalee." Lenalee froze.

"What do you mean by that Allen?" Allen refused to look up.

"When I was asleep, the…Innocence…it spoke to me. Told me things, including what Link and everyone else already knows."

"What? What kind of things?" Lenalee's voice was now sounding fearful. Allen looked up.

"Lenalee, if I tell you what's going on, you have to promise me no matter what, you will not tell Tyki."

"What? Why? Allen what exactly is going on?"

"Just promise me. Please." Lenalee was silent.

"Alright," she finally said, "I won't say anything. Now tell me, what's going on?" Allen looked down, his eyes hidden behind his bangs.

"Right now, I'm…"

Tyki was sleeping in his cell when Howard Link came to visit him. The sound of the metal door creaking open immediately roused him from his dreamless slumber; the bright ceiling lights illuminated the previously dark room, temporarily blinding him.

"Who are you?" He asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion at the young man. "Why are you here? I've given you all the information I have, there's nothing-"

"My name is Inspector Howard Link, and I am charged in overseeing the training and recovery of the exorcist Allen Walker." Tyki sat up, heart pounding wildly in his chest.

"Allen? You mean he's awake?" Link nodded. "Thank god." Hi whispered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "How is he doing?"

"…He is weak, but seems to be recovering smoothly."

"Is there any way I can visit him?"

"Absolutely not. Mr. Walker asked me to alert you of his current condition, and now that I have done so I will be taking my leave."

"Wait!" cried Tyki, getting up to grab him by the shoulder. "Please tell me what happened to Allen. I've been so worried about him." Link stopped.

"If you do not remove your arm from my shoulder in three seconds I will be forced to restrain you." Tyki was not deterred. "I know you know what's wrong with him. Please, tell me! As the second holder of the Heart I demand to know what happened to Allen!"

"You don't have any right, Mr. Mikk, to demand anything of me. Your Innocence has been confiscated and as a result you are nothing more than a traitor of the Black Order."

"Please!" Link pinched the bridge of his nose let out a long sigh. Shrugging Tyki's hand from his shoulder he turned to face the tall man, steel gray eyes burning into the Ex-Noah's.

"Allen Walker is dying, Tyki Mikk." Stated the inspector, his voice blunt and devoid of emotion.

"…What?"

"I said that Allen Walker is dying!" repeated Link, looking irritated. "You may not be aware of this _Noah_, but because their weapons are a part of them, Exorcists with parasitic-type Innocence use their own bodies to fuel their weapons. This is usually why most have large appetites, to help compensate for the toll the Innocence takes on its user. However, even their large appetites cannot make up for all the energy the Innocence requires, so as a result the Innocence draws on the life spans of their Exorcists to function. That synchronization with the Heart drew nearly killed Allen, as the heart drew upon too much of his energy at once. However even without the Heart Allen's life force has slowly been depleting. Judging by the condition you brought him in, I would say Mr. Walker has less than a year to live." Tyki sunk to the floor, all of his energy seeming to leave him.

"So you are telling me that my Allen, is going to die in less than a year?"

"If he continues to sync with the Heart it may be even sooner, but yes, that I what I am saying." Answered Link, frowning down at the pitiful man before him.

"No I can't let that happen." Tyki's eyes were starting to get wet again. "Please! Let me use the Heart! My Innocence isn't a parasitic type! I could use-"

"Don't be a fool Tyki Mikk. My superiors would never allow a traitor like you to wield such a powerful weapon. Furthermore Allen Walker has the dominant section of the Heart; if we were to try and remove the fragment he would instantly die. That Innocence shard is the main thing keeping him alive. Now if you will excuse me I will be taking my leave. Good day." Tyki didn't move from his spot as he heard Link head for the exit.

"Thank you." Whispered Tyki, the small voice stopping Link in his tracks. "Thank you, for telling me about Allen's condition, and also, for not killing me. Allen would have been devastated if-"

"Do not mistake our actions to spare you as ones of kindness Mr. Mikk." Said Link in a cold voice. "The only reason you are alive is because of your relation with The Destroyer of Time. The scans we ran on your and Mr. Walker's Innocence show that there is a connection between your Innocence and his own, a connection so strong that it could be fatal if we were to execute it's wielder. In fact, I suspect that the connection is the _only_ reason your Innocence shard did not turn you into a Fallen One the moment you betrayed the Black Order. Now if you will excuse me I have other business to attend to." And with that, Tyki was once more left alone in his large, dark cell.

(A/N) Oh my gosh people I am so sorry for the delay in chapters. College is really tough and finding time to write is hard! Still, I promised you all that I would finish this story come hell or high water (though I have no idea how many of you are still out there), and I am going to make good on that promise. So yeah here is Chapter 32 I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully Chapter 33 should be coming sooner than Chapter 32 did. It's late where I am right now so I'm going to bed but I promise to work on Chapter 33 tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get it up by next Friday. Until then, adieu!

~CuddleFish124~


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